Gourmet chefs and Greenpeace cook to combat GE

Rice pudding simply tastes better without GE milk - the proof is in the pudding! European gourmet chefs known as 'Eurotoques' from the Munich Chef's school Wirtschaftswunder and Greenpeace volunteers got their ladles in action on the Marienplatz in Munich to cook rice pudding.

Whether exotic, extravagant or traditional, the rice pudding recipes from the six gourmet cooks had one common non-ingredient: all their recipes were GE free. The milk came from cows, which were guaranteed to be fed on non-GE feed. Samples of the rice pudding were handed out to people in Munich showing the alternatives to the GE rice pudding from Mueller, which does not guarantee that its milk is sourced from cows fed only on GE free feed.

"High quality ingredients are crucial for the quality of our meal", says our GE expert in Germany Ulrike Brendel. "Greenpeace, together with gourmet chefs are demanding that Mueller stops using GE milk. The company must ensure that no GE feed gets into the cows' feed. As long as this is not guaranteed, everyone should make their own rice pudding rather than buying Mueller's GE alternative."

Mueller maintains it has done everything it can in order to exclude GE crops in the cows' feed, but Greenpeace research shows another picture. There are no controls for animal feed produced by Mueller at present and no appropriate contracts for GE-free feed. Greenpeace found a substantial amount of GE Soya in feed samples taken from four Mueller milk yards.

Ernst-Ulrich Schassberger, President of Eurotoques Germany, said: "There is a huge loophole in the New EU labelling laws for GE food. Animal products such as milk, eggs or meat that come from animals fed on GE animal feed, do not have to be labelled. The consumers - as well as chefs - cannot easily identify GE products. Food manufacturers should not be allowed to use animal products that have been fed on GE feed."

The fact that food can be manufactured with GE free animal products shows other companies it can be done. Products such as Ritter Sport, Darfst/Unilever or Wiesenhof are guaranteed GE. Also the supermarkets like Tegut and Edeka (north) already avoid GE feed in industrial farming. Non-GE Milk is produced by numerous Oeko dairies and regional labels like "Unser Land" in Bavaria.

More Information

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- For more information about the implications of the new EU labelling and traceability rules read this.

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