Lawsuit Reflects Fight Over Altered Food - Portland Press Herald 7/9/

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Wednesday, July 9, 2003, Portland Press Herald (Maine)

 

Lawsuit Reflects Fight Over Altered Food

by Edward D. Murphy

 

Monsanto Corp.'s decision to sue Oakhurst Dairy this week highlights an

emerging battle over the widespread use of genetically altered food.

 

So far, consumers seem to be moving to the side that favors "food that

has not been modified by somebody going in and monkeying about with the

genes," said Kevin Coupe, a retail analyst who produces the Web site

morningnewsbeat.com.

 

"One of the biggest (food) categories right now is natural and organic

foods," Coupe said. "There's a reason...it's growing."

 

Still, Coupe said consumers in the United States are generally less

concerned by genetic modifications to foods than those in Europe, where

many countries have banned the import of food that's been altered by

biotechnology.

 

....Monsanto, one of the country's largest biotechnology firms,

announced this week that it is suing Oakhurst Dairy of Portland because

the dairy markets the fact that its milk comes from farmers who pledge

not to give artificial growth hormones to their cows.

 

Monsanto said the hormones, which it manufactures, don't produce milk

any different from milk produced by cows that aren't fed the hormones.

Oakhurst's marketing pitch, Monsanto claims, suggests otherwise and

deceives consumers.

 

....Coupe said Monsanto's lawsuit suggests that there's something wrong

with using hormones that the company doesn't want consumers to know about.

"The last thing we need as consumers in this country is companies that

don't want to tell us something," he said. "They're saying, 'Do it our

way, or we'll sue you.' "

Coupe said consumers want to know where their food comes from, whether

it's been genetically altered in any way and how it was grown. Fears of

bioterrorism are also on people's minds.

 

"People are very concerned about what they put in their mouths and what

they feed their kids," he said. "Part of it, you could trace back to

Sept. 11, but it also predates that."

 

He said much of that concern comes about because people can learn about

the arguments over genetic alterations quickly, on the Internet, and

they may be worried about the long-term implications.

 

Other consumers, he said, don't want to do the research, but they also

don't want to take chances with the food they eat and opt for organic

brands.

Chains such as Wild Oats appeal to both groups by saying, " 'We have

food that hasn't been messed with and therefore it's better for you.'

Because it's such an unambiguous message, you don't have to figure it

out," Coupe said. "There's something to be said for simplicity."

 

...Johnson [of Mansanto] said most genetically altered foods end up in

processed foods, such as those containing soy-based oils or some corn

products. He said there are some estimates that 60 percent of the food

sold in the United States contains ingredients that have been

genetically modified....

 

Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

 

http://www.pressherald.com/business/stories/030709food.shtml