Reuters | November 25, 1999 | Julie Vorman
WASHINGTON - According to this story, a French farm activist and protesters in rubber fish masks took part on Wednesday in what a U.S. green group said would be the first in a series of demonstrations at American supermarkets against genetically modified foods.
The story says that the demonstration, by fewer than two dozen protesters, was a warm-up for rallies expected next week in Seattle when the World Trade Organization opens a new round of global negotiations on agriculture and other issues.
Jose Bove, a farm group leader best known for wrecking a McDonald's in France earlier this year, was cited as saying bioengineered foods had yet to be proved safe for consumers. He appeared at the rally, outside a Safeway supermarket in Washington, which organizers said was kicking off a series of demonstrations modeled after ones in Europe.
Bove was quoted as saying, "We want safe food. We need civil disobedience to continue the struggle."
A spokesman for Safeway Inc. was quoted as saying, "Our products meet all federal safety standards. This is not a Safeway issue. It's an industry issue."
Bove and Friends of the Earth, which sponsored the event, want the U.S. government to halt approval of genetically modified crops and foods until further scientific testing shows they pose no long-term health risks. They also want labels on all foods containing bioengineered ingredients.
U.S. food companies oppose any special labels on foods containing genetically altered soybean oil, corn or other ingredients.
But in recent days, the Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute have conceded that it may be necessary for the government to require more safety testing to reassure consumers. The two trade groups represent most major U.S. food processors and supermarkets.
The Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing its regulations and policies with an eye toward possible changes.
The story says that at the demonstration, two protesters wore red strawberry-shaped masks with a fish's bulging eyes and fins protruding from the front. The gear alluded to one company's plans to insert flounder genes into strawberry plants to make berries more cold-resistant.
The group also dumped packages of breakfast cereal, oatmeal, and macaroni and cheese, together with bottles of cola and ketchup, into a large garbage bin, saying the foods might contain bioengineered soybean oil or corn ingredients.
They urged onlookers to boycott foods or beverages made by Kellogg Co., Coca-Cola Co., General Mills Inc. and several other major companies until the firms stop using altered ingredients.
Bove, visiting Washington en route to Seattle to protest when the WTO meets there, was cited as telling Reuters he wanted to draw attention to the plight of farmers and the dangers of genetically modified food. A dairy farmer himself, Bove plans to hand out samples of French-made Roquefort cheese, a product slapped with 100 percent tariffs by the U.S. government last summer in a trade dispute over hormone-treated beef.
