The Vegetarian Society today questioned the value to consumers of the GM food-labelling scheme, announced today by Food Safety Minister Jeff Rooker. The Society, which is backing calls for a five year moratorium on the commercial growing of GM crops, believes the new labelling laws do not go far enough, fail to offer real consumer choice and are unlikely to restore consumer confidence in GM foods.

"The new labelling laws fail to provide real choice for consumers wanting to avoid GM foods altogether. There are literally hundreds of foods made using ingredients derived from GM soya and maize, which will be excluded from the new labelling scheme. There is a real danger of the labelling scheme becoming meaningless" said Chris Dessent, Head of Public Affairs for The Vegetarian Society.

In August 1998, the Society adopted a new policy concerning GM crops and its vegetarian food-labelling scheme. From August 1st 1999 all foods approved by the Society will be free from genetically modified crops. The Society's policy concerning GM crops goes further than the proposed EU directive and states that approved foods will be 100% GM free, and will also exclude foods where GM ingredients have been used in the processing or production, but the DNA is no longer present.

The Vegetarian Society's policy concerning genetically engineered crops states: "Genetically Modified products or products containing Genetically Modified ingredients are not acceptable to the Vegetarian Society because the Society believes it is impossible to guarantee that such products are completely in accordance with the Society's vegetarian principles."

The Vegetarian Society's 'V' symbol is recognised as the most trusted guarantee of vegetarian suitability. Food companies using the symbol are currently being asked to confirm their GM status and contracts will be renewed only with clients guaranteeing their GM free status. The criteria also ensure that the product or ingredients have not been tested on animals.

The Society finds unacceptable any form of genetic engineering that has a detrimental effect on the environment, on the health of individuals or on the welfare of animals. The Society believes that any animal experiments taking place in order to develop GM foods are ethically unacceptable and unnecessary.

For further information please contact The Vegetarian Society press office on 0161 925 2000