Danish consumers sweep GM products off the shelves

Eurofood, Feb 3, 2000

Consumer pressure has driven three products containing genetically modified ingredients off supermarket shelves in Denmark. Bugles American snacks, Fine bearnaise sauce powder and Cardini salad seasoning have been withdrawn from sale. Bugles was the first product sold in Denmark to be labelled as containing GMOs, in accordance with new EU legislation.

Sales immediately plummeted. The Consumers' Council, a public information organisation, has urged caution, reminding consumers that there are many food products made using genetically modified raw materials, namely soya and maize. These two ingredients are found in around 40% of all prepared foods in Europe -- cakes, ready meals, cold meats, to name but a few -- and it is likely that the soya and maize used in many of these products will have been modified.