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Three out of four Italians see GMOs as health threat (20/10/2006)


1.3 out of 4 Italians see GMOs as health threat - Reuters
2.Second Kind Of Bayer GM Rice Detected In EU - Dow Jones
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1.Three out of four Italians see GMOs as health threat
Reuters News Service, Oct 20 2006
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-10-20T134407Z_01_L20602839_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-FOOD-ITALY-GMO-DC.XML&WTmodLoc=SciHealth-C4-Health-9

CERNOBBIO, Italy (Reuters) - Three quarters of Italians see genetically modified (GMO) foods as a health hazard, according to research published on Friday.

European consumers are known for being wary of GMO foods, but the biotech industry says its products are perfectly safe and no different to conventional foods.

But a study conducted by Italy's major farm body Coldiretti and research center ISPO showed 74 percent of Italians believed GMOs could damage human health.

That represented a 4 percent increase on a similar survey last year.

The study, presented at the International Forum on Agriculture and Food organized by Coldiretti, was based on a survey of 4,093 Italians who represented the country's population breakdown by gender, age, profession and residence.

More Italians are opting for organic food, with 71 percent saying they prefer products free of chemical additives, it showed.
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2.Second Kind Of Bayer GM Rice Detected In EU
Dow Jones, October 20, 2006
http://www.cbgnetwork.org/1658.html

FRANKFURT -- A second kind of genetically modified rice developed by German chemicals and pharmaceutical company Bayer AG (BAY) has been detected in the European Union, a E.U. spokesman confirmed to Dow Jones Newswires Friday.

French authorities' recently found unauthorized rice LL62 in France imported from the U.S. and notified the European rapid alert system, spokesman Philip Tod told Dow Jones Newswires.

The E.U. spokesman said the LL62 rice is still unauthorized in the E.U., but is in the approval process.  The application to import the rice into the E.U. was made three years ago, Philipp Mimkes of Coordination gegen Bayer Gefahren, or CBG, an anti-Bayer campaign group, told Dow Jones Newswires.

Although the rice is authorized for marketing in the U.S., it has not been commercialized there, Tod added. Bayer spokeswoman Anette Josten said "we are taking note of this report about an alleged positive detection made by the French authorities and continue to work closely with the governments and others in the rice industry as more information becomes available." She also confirmed the rice hasn't been commercialized in the U.S.

In September of this year, traces of Bayer's LL601 rice were found which were not authorized in the U.S.  Later the LL601 rice was also found in Europe for example in Germany in rice sold in discount supermarkets.


 

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