2008 articles

1.Oz: Bee in his bonnet over GM
2.U.S. researcher develops non-GM antifreeze protein for icecream
3.UK: Chinese rice products containing an unauthorised GM rice
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1.Bee in his bonnet over GM
Leader News, 8 July 2008 [shortened]
http://www.macedonrangesleader.com.au/article/2008/07/07/38558_mrv_news.html

Beekeeper Graham Connell is concerned about keeping his honey free from GM crop flowers.

MACEDON beekeeper Graham Connell says genetically modified crops could bankrupt his business because there is no state registry on farms using GM.

In February the State Government allowed GM varieties of canola into Victoria for the first time.

But Mr Connell, with 40 bee hives, said he had no way of knowing which canola farms were GM-free.

"Bees love canola and can roam up to 4km to get at it so I can't guarantee to honey suppliers and the consumers that my honey is completely GM-free," he said.

He said honey sellers asked beekeepers to sign statutory declarations declaring them GM-free.

"So many businesses are built on clean, green produce so a legal challenge is inevitable if this situation is allowed to continue," he said.

Mr Connell said bees were in decline worldwide and blamed genetically modified "contaminated" crops for the decline.
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2.U.S. researcher develops non-GM antifreeze protein for icecream [not original title/shortened]]
Uni of Wisconsin News, July 1 2008
http://www.news.wisc.edu/15358

Srinivasan Damodaran... [t]he University of Wisconsin-Madison food science professor has discovered an edible antifreeze that can preserve ice cream's smooth, silky texture.

Colorless and tasteless ”” you'd never know you were eating it ”” the antifreeze employs a cocktail of small gelatin proteins to slow the growth of ice crystals, which over time form in ice cream and other frozen foods, ruining texture and overall quality...

The multinational food company Unilever... sells ice cream in the United States, the Philippines and Mexico that includes [a GM] antifreeze protein derived from fish. The additive is pending approval in Europe, but strong consumer sentiment against genetic engineering may prevent it from being widely accepted.
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3.Chinese rice products containing an unauthorised GM rice
UK Food Standards Agency, 16 July 2008

The Agency has provided a list of Chinese rice products tested since 12 April and found to contain Bt63 rice. In April, the European Commission adopted an emergency measure requiring imports of specified products originating or consigned from China to be certified free of the unauthorised genetically modified organism (GMO) known as 'Bt63'.

Bt63 is an unauthorised GMO and so should not be on the market.

More information about the emergency measure adopted by the Commission can be found at the link below.

Chinese rice products containing Bt63 rice

Following enforcement activities carried out at ports and sampling activities carried out by local authorities and food businesses since 12 April, the products detailed in the two lists below have been found to contain Bt63 rice.

For details of products to be destroyed or recalled see: http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2008/jul/bt63update