Sugar Alert ! ! ! - The complicity and duplicity of companies that say they're Organic

[Guest guest]

ALERT: Genetically Engineered Sugar to Hit U.S. in 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

Background Information: American

Crystal, a large Wyoming-based sugar company and several other leading

U.S. sugar providers have announced they will be sourcing their sugar

from genetically engineered (GE) sugar beets beginning this year and

arriving in stores in 2008. Like GE corn and GE soy, products

containing GE sugar will not be labeled as such.

Since half of the granulated sugar in the U.S.

comes

from sugar beets, a move towards biotech beets marks a dramatic

alteration of the U.S. food supply. These sugars, along with GE corn

and soy, are found in many conventional food products, so consumers

will be exposed to genetically engineered ingredients in just about

every non-organic multiple-ingredient product they purchase.

The GE sugar beet is designed to withstand

strong

doses of Monsanto's controversial broad spectrum Roundup herbicide.

Studies indicate farmers planting "Roundup Ready" corn and soy spray

large amounts of the herbicide, contaminating both soil and water.

Farmers planting GE sugar beets are told they may be able to apply the

herbicide up to five times per year. Sugar beets are grown on 1.4

million acres by 12,000 farmers in the U.S. from Oregon to Minnesota.

Meanwhile candy companies like Hershey's are

urging

farmers not to plant GE sugar beets, noting that consumer surveys

suggest resistance to the product. In addition the European Union has

not approved GE sugar beets for human consumption.