EXTRACT: The Soil Association, which monitors organic food standards, said it had many concerns about the use of the new ingredient.

It added: "Protein by-products generated by the fermentation of GM micro-organisms represent a major health risk."

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The low-fat ice cream that has something fishy about it
By SEAN POULTER Daily Mail, 1 August 2007 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=472191&in_page_id=1770

Wall's has been given the go-ahead to use GM technology to make low-fat ice cream.

The company will use an artificial version of a protein found in a deep-sea fish to create healthier versions of popular brands such as Magnum and Cornetto.

But it faces a backlash from consumers and food campaigners over its decision to champion the controversial technology.

Currently, just a handful of GM products are on sale in this country after the so-called Frankenstein Foods were rejected by consumers and supermarkets.

The protein which will be used in the low-fat ice creams is a synthetic version of one found in the blood of the ocean pout fish.

This chemical - effectively a type of anti-freeze - allows the fish to survive in extremely cold water just above the sea bed.

Wall's parent company Unilever has found a way to synthesise the protein, which is grown on yeast in large vats.

The resulting brownish thin liquid is added to the ice cream and lowers the temperature at which ice crystals form. It also alters the shape they take.

According to the manufacturers, this means that ice cream of a suitably thick consistency can be created without using as much fat in the process.

Food campaigners argue that Unilever's decision to apply for the right to use the GM technology is at odds with an increasing desire among consumers for a more natural diet.

However, bosses at the company believe that the appeal of low-fat ice cream outweighs any doubts the public has about GM technology.

The decision to approve the technology was made by the Government's Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes, which reports to the Food Standards Agency.

The committee carried out a public consultation before reaching its decision, in which one contributor suggested that using GM technology would tarnish the reputation of Unilever's 'ethical' brands such as Ben & Jerry's.

Two others argued that the GM ingredient was unnecessary and the natural product - real cream - was a better option.

The Soil Association, which monitors organic food standards, said it had many concerns about the use of the new ingredient.

It added: "Protein by-products generated by the fermentation of GM micro-organisms represent a major health risk."

The committee has, however, imposed one condition on Unilever - that it must identify the use of GM technology on the product labels.

The company had argued it would be enough to mention the controversial process on its websites and customer care lines.

The use of the protein will now have to be approved by other EU states, which will delay Unilever's ability to launch products using it for at least a year.