NEWSWATCH: GM on the rise in SA, and major SA supermarket brands test positive for GM

Despite a global outcry over genetically modified (GM) crops, South Africa continues to be a dumping ground for GM crops (and their products) which periodically cripple small scale farmers ability to survive, give big pharmaceutical companies even greater control of our food diversity and have potential health implications which are still unknown due to lack of research.

Furthermore, despite changes last October to the Consumer Protection Act which requires all GM foods and marketing materials to be labelled where the GM content is at least 5%, leading SA supermarket brands Nestle, Bokomo, Impala maize meal and Future Life have tested positive to GM much higher than 5% with no labeling.

The internationally respected and independent GMO testing facility at the University of the Free State conducted several thorough qualitative screenings and came up with the following disturbing results:

• Nestle’s Infant cereal, Cerelac Honey was found to contain 77.65% of GM maize DNA in relation to the total maize DNA.

• Bokomo’s Wheat Free Pronutro was found to contain both GM maize and GM soya: 90.36% GM maize and 71.42% GM soya. This despite verbal assurances given to us telephonically by Bokomo staff that the product was non-GM!

• Future Life Energy meal, an ubiquitous dietary supplement, found also at health stores and heavily promoted publicly as being “perfect for athletes of all levels and for high performance sports” is ironically, the only product that tested 100% positive for GM maize! It also contains 36.13% of GM soya.

• Impala maize meal was found to contain 66.18% GM maize. This maize is consumed daily by millions of South Africans as an integral part of their staple diet.

Find out more and how you can take action from Urban Sprout .