FOCUS ON EASTERN EUROPE

EXCERPTS: Russian consumers are just as concerned about whether they are unwittingly eating genetically-modified (GM) foods as their counterparts in most of the rest of Europe, and companies such as baker MBKK Kolomenskoe are increasingly seeing a guaranteed GM-free status as a powerful marketing tool...

"We believe that if you produce food products that are very popular with consumers it is very dangerous indeed to experiment with the way in which those products are made [such as using GM ingredients], as this can clearly have a negative effect on consumer acceptance" (Item 1)

1.Russian baker confirms GM-free status
2.REVIEW OF GM ISSUE IN CROATIA
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1.Russian baker confirms GM-free status
CEE-foodindustry.com, 16/11/2004
http://www.cee-foodindustry.com/news/ng.asp?id=56106

Russian consumers are just as concerned about whether they are unwittingly eating genetically-modified (GM) foods as their counterparts in most of the rest of Europe, and companies such as baker MBKK Kolomenskoe are increasingly seeing a guaranteed GM-free status as a powerful marketing tool, writes Angela Drujinina

MBKK Kolomeskoe, which makes a popular brand of wafer cakes, called in scientists from the Institute of Cytology at the Russian Academy of Sciences to verify the GM status of its ingredients - a voluntary move designed to tap into growing concern among Russian consumers about the presence of unlabelled GM ingredients.

Maxim Vonsky, head of the Institute of Cytology told CEE-foodindustry.com that the tests were able to detect the presence not only of GM soya, the most widely used genetically modified crop, but most other GM ingredients as well. "In accordance with [Russian standard] GOST R 52173-2003, we tested for elements widely used in the development of the most common GM crops. We separately conducted a test to detect GM soya because it is the most widely used. None of the samples given to us by MBKK Kolomenskoe contained any signs of GM ingredients."

For the company, the decision to subject its products to testing was driven by consumer demand. "We decided to conduct tests of our company's products after assessing the level of public opinion against GM products," said Liybov Yakubovskaya, PR manager of MBKK Kolomenskoe. "When we surveyed our consumers, we learned that 80 per cent of them did not wish to buy products containing genetically modified ingredients."

Moscow-based Kolomenskoe is the biggest producer of baked goods in the capital city, and its wafer cakes are famous all over Russia.

"We believe that if you produce food products that are very popular with consumers it is very dangerous indeed to experiment with the way in which those products are made [such as using GM ingredients], as this can clearly have a negative effect on consumer acceptance," said Kolomesnkoe's Albert Mkrtichian. "We took the voluntary step to test our products, but in the future we plan to enforce the mandatory testing of all the raw materials we use, and are working with our suppliers to ensure our continued status as a GM-free food producer."
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2.REVIEW OF GM ISSUE IN CROATIA
by Ljiljanka MITOS

GM seed situation in Croatia is completely blurred. Multinational company Pioneer is trying to avoid legal conviction for illegal sale of GM seed which farmers planted, while didn't know it is contaminated. Pioneer refuse to pay 13 milion kuna (cca 2 mil. EUR) and pronounced complaint to state inspections. According to them «Croatia has tested seed withouth legal act on taking it's samples». So they don't want even to discuss about any damage to people, nature and economy in Croatia.

However, the Ministry of Agriculture, which ordered destroying of GM corn crops, have compensated the farmer's damage. For, now it's all and there are no other public words on the past scandal.

Nevertheless, if there are no discussion, it's not evidence that the things is stagnating. GMO lobby is getting more influence, and for example Pioneer is taking hard promo-campaign in agricultural croatian Slavonija region.

Who takes control of Croatian agriculture?

Although, Pioneer refused to take responsibility for contaminating crops with GM seed, they didn't renunciate that distribute GM seed, but explained that it was contaminated in the USA, where it was imported from, and croatian Pioneer don't have anything with this case. Secondly, Pioneer stated that croatia institutions have taken samples and tested it without legaly prescriptive methods. Further, they admit just their methods which they immplement in all other countries, where operate. So, insist on immplementation of that method in positive Croatian legislative.

Croatian politicians, considered other countries' experiences (like Austria where some damage for GM contaminations couldn't be evidenced), took obligation for satisfing Pioneer's ultimatum.

Declarative and practical

State policy is declaratively GM negative, but practicaly GM positive and open doors for GM seeds and GM food contamination: holding analyses of food products secretly, holding acceptation of ultimatum secretly and punish officers who discovered GM positive food products in markets. Also, actual Croatian policy doesn't invest in improving inspections and play with creating new Act on Food and retard with Act on GMO. But, the state support seminars and workshops where fight GM-pro and anti-GM scientists. At the other hand, there are individual organic farmers joining in eco-cooperatives and associations to assist and help each other in their work. They are looking for a way to take roll in local and european food market. Strong before several years, GM-activists is not so active, currently. Past GM-campaigns is archived. It's urgently nedeed to take coordinated action, before several laws (Act on nature protection, Act on food, Act on GMO) take changes favorable for GM-lobby.

(This article is published by Osjecki zeleni, environmental NGO, immplementing project Environmental Press Center. All articles is free for translations, reprint in informing on environmental protection. Original croatian language version is published on Independent Environmental Media ALERT http://alert.zeleni.hr)
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