TORONTO, 16 August 2000 - A new survey shows more Canadians are buying their food from health food stores because of concerns over genetically modified ingredients.

The poll commissioned by the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) found that 95 percent of Canadians believe they should have the right to choose whether or not they buy foods containing genetically modified ingredients.

But health product manufacturers increasingly complain that their attempts to inform consumers with labels are being thwarted by retailers.

Genetically modified ingredients contain organisms whose genetic DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally by mating or natural recombination. Recombinant DNA technology, or genetic engineering, allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another, sometimes between non-related species.

Genetic engineering is routinely used in thousands of research laboratories worldwide and has resulted in many new products and processes such as industrial enzymes and medicines such as insulin and vaccines.

But the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture and the food industry is currently the focus of intense public and political debate.

Consumers, environmentalists and some scientists worry about risks to human health and the environment. Among their concerns are that GM crops that rely upon high amounts of pesticides and fertilizers could cause toxic or allergenic effects and large scale elimination of indigenous agricultural and natural species.

In the CHFA Health Study, more than one quarter of Canadians indicated they are more likely to shop at a health food store as compared to two years ago. Knowing that certified organic foods are free of GMOs, more than one third of Canadians said they are more likely to purchase organic foods now than they were two years ago.

"The CHFA Health Study results demonstrate that Canadians clearly believe that they are being denied freedom of choice," said CHFA president Donna Herringer.

"This survey confirms what we have instinctively known for years - Canadians do not want to blindly consume foods that contain GMOs. People want the right to read a label and make an informed decision about what they put in their bodies."

The federal government department Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is in the process of setting standards for voluntary labeling, but Herringer says the government is not moving quickly enough. The Canadian Health Food Association is lobbying for mandatory labeling of all genetically modified foods. The CHFA strongly agrees that the government should develop national standards, but this process is not moving forward at a pace that meets the needs of Canadian consumers, Herringer says.

"The Canadian public is concerned about the effects of genetically modified organisms on their health and the environment," said Herringer. "Canada's health food stores are in the process of creating labeling and signage that will identify foods that are free of genetically modified ingredients in order to provide consumer choice." We are calling on Agriculture Minister Lyle Vanclief to make those labelling standards mandatory so Canadians can make an informed decision about what they're eating," Herringer told ENS. "Right now, we don't even have voluntary labeling standards," she said.

Respondents to a Health Canada website poll last year voted overwhelmingly in favour of mandatory nutrition labeling. Respondents voiced frustration with the incomplete nutrient information available on food, and many said they simply do not buy products without labels.

The nonprofit CHFA is the professional voice of Canada's natural health products industry. It represents 1,200 members including retailers, wholesalers, distributors and manufacturers of supplements, vitamins, herbals, homeopathics, sports and nutrition supplements, packaged foods and organic foods.

Some CHFA members use GMO-free labels, which has led to certain products being pulled from major retailers' shelves. "We are hearing that our members are being required to sticker over the GMO-free label at certain retail locations," said Herringer. Michael Theodor, a CHFA director and broker for White Wave Silk Soy Beverage, told ENS how that product had to be relabeled in Loblaws supermarkets across Canada earlier this year.

"White Wave only uses one farmer to grow its soy beans so the paper trail is very simple," said Theodor. "It is a certified organic product meaning it is GMO-free and the genetic identification is provided on each lot number of the product."

"It is an irrefutable, lock tight guarantee that the product is GMO-free so we labeled it accordingly."

Loblaws ordered the company to sticker over the labels if it wanted the store to carry the beverage.

"Loblaws didn't dispute our claims but had made it general policy not to approve the labels for liability reasons," said Theodor.

A spokesperson for the Ontario based Loblaws chain was unavailable for comment.

Theodor said White Wave had to print hundreds of thousands of new stickers at considerable expense. Other retailers, including Overwaitea and IGA Quebec, continue to carry the product complete with GMO-free label.

"The solution for manufacturers who refuse to comply with this demand is to sell through natural health food stores who can offer clearly labeled GMO-free products," said Herringer. "The solution for consumers is to shop at natural health food stores as they provide certified organic, GMO-free products."

The CHFA Health Survey polled 1,000 Canadian adults and was conducted by Omnitel, a division of the market research company Thompson Lightstone. The survey found:

• 94 percent believe foods containing GMOs should have a label indicating the products contain genetically modified ingredients Two thirds of Canadians believe it is important to know whether the foods they eat contain GMOs
• Close to 60 percent of Canadians believe that GMOs pose a risk to the Canadian food supply
• More than one quarter of Canadians are more likely to shop at a health food store as compared to two years ago
• Upon learning that certified organic foods do not contain GMOs, 38 percent of Canadians said they are more likely to buy organic foods.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the 15-member European Union, recently announced plans to end a two year moratorium on its approval of GMOs with stronger laws on labelling.