No Wall High Enough

Nature's Path Has Raised the Bar With Its Third-Party Certified Organic Breakfast Cereals as Concerns Rise With GMO 'Genetic Drift' Contamination

Business Wire 10apr01

DELTA, British Columbia -- Did you know that 60 to 70 percent of all processed foods in America may be made with genetically modified soy, canola or corn?

This is an estimate recently reported by the Grocery Manufacturers of America. More than 65 million acres in the USA, and 6.6 million acres in Canada are planted in GMO crops, according to Scientific American.

Arran Stephens, Founder and President of Nature's Path Foods, a leading manufacturer of organic breakfast cereals, said consumers have a right to know what they are eating. According to a poll of 1,001 adults by the Pew Charitable Trusts, three-quarters of the respondents wanted to know what foods contain genetically engineered foods. Of this group, roughly 60 percent said they didn't want genetically engineered crops introduced into the food supply.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is currently debating FDA proposed labeling rules regarding the presence of GMOs in the food supply. It is the FDA's position that the use of "Non-GMO" be phased out as a claim, and replaced with a reference to "No ingredients created with biotechnology."

"The FDA has it entirely the wrong way around," says Stephens. "There should be compulsory labeling of products containing GMO ingredients. Many other countries already have compulsory labeling of GMOs above a one percent threshold."

Using genetic engineering -- virus, bacteria or toxin genes have been added to some varieties of soya and corn. Many scientists and environmentalists have already expressed concerns about the effect of doing this. A major concern for the food industry is that these introduced genes can then contaminate natural crops by pollen drift or mixing during handling.

"We were appalled to see that precisely the genetic pollution we feared is now taking place in America's croplands," Stephens said, as a response to a Wall Street Journal article on Thursday, April 5. He added, "While the products tested were presumably made with non-GMO ingredients, most were not certified organic. To be a third-party certified organic farmer/processor involves following an audited quality rigor not found in conventional methods."

"Genetic drift is the single biggest reason we have been and continue to be adamant opponents of genetic engineering -- there is every likelihood North America's food chain is being irretrievably polluted by genetic experiments," he added. "Even though we buy the purest certified organic corn available, there is still a danger of trace contamination from GE crops. There is no wall high enough to keep out genetic drift."

Stephens explained that both Nature's Path plants in Delta, B.C. and Blaine, Wash. are third-party QAI certified, ISO-65 compliant organic processing facilities.

"To meet certification standards, we require our raw materials suppliers to be certified organic operations themselves," he said.

"All corn, soy and canola suppliers are required to be tested for the presence of GMOs in every shipment sent to Nature's Path. Anything less than 99 percent pure is rejected. That is our standard. Consumers should be aware, however, that an organic farmer cannot control all outside forces such as water, earth, and wind-borne contaminants. Who should bear the cost of genetic trespass?" he asks. "Shouldn't the responsibility rebound on the biotech companies which caused it in the first place?"

"In addition to supplier testing, we're now doing our own tests of all corn and soy deliveries to ensure our consumers get what they expect," added Parimal Rana, manager of the company's Quality Assurance Department.

Stephens added, "we are asking for a moratorium on GMO crops. Until that time, mandatory labeling of GMO foods is a must, so consumers know what they are eating, and choosing. In the meantime we will be sending our bills for this expensive testing directly to the biotech companies who have caused this environmental problem."

Nature's Path's organic breakfast line consists of Optimum(TM) Power Breakfast(TM), Heritage(R) Multigrain Flakes, Multigrain with Raisin, Millet Rice Flakes, Corn Flakes FJS, Heritage(R) O's, Heritage(R) Flakes, Heritage(R) Muesli, Blueberry Almond Muesli, Honey'd(TM) Corn Flakes, Honey'd(R)Raisin Bran, Mesa Sunrise(R), Kamut(R) Krisp, Shredded Oaty Bites(TM), Shredded Heritage(R) Bites, Crispy Rice(TM) Hemp Plus(TM), Flax Plus(R), Soy Plus(R) and EnviroKidz(TM) organic children's cereals, i.e. Gorilla Munch(TM), Orangutan-O's(TM), Koala Crisp(TM), Amazon(TM) Frosted Flakes, and Panda Puffs(TM). The EnviroKidz line donates 1% of its annual sales to charities (WWF, ACT, OFI) protecting endangered species and habitat.

Founded in 1985 by Arran Stephens, Nature's Path Foods owns and operates QAI-certified processing facilities in Delta, BC, and Blaine, WA. North America's best-selling brand of organic and all-natural breakfast foods are marketed under Nature's Path and LifeStream, respectively. Visit our website: www.naturespath.com

CONTACT:
Nature's Path Foods
Rob Wardle, 604/940-0505 Ext. 342