Speakers at the National Farmers’ Union Conference have been told that most non-organic meat sold in UK restaurants and supermarkets is from animals raised on genetically modified (GM) feed. Up to 80% of maize and soya bean crops – key cattle feeds – may now be GM. In 2013, leading supermarkets abandoned the pledge to ensure their farm animals supplying meat, milk and eggs would be reared on a GM-free diet. Connor McVeigh of McDonald’s told the conference that the fast food chain sold beef from cows raised on GM crops as it was ‘becoming increasingly difficult to source non-GM feed within our supply chain’. Concerns have been raised about the potential risks to human health from GM and the heavy use of weedkillers in soy production in the Europe.
Speakers at the National Farmers’ Union Conference have been told that most non-organic meat sold in UK restaurants and supermarkets is from animals raised on genetically modified (GM) feed. Up to 80% of maize and soya bean crops – key cattle feeds – may now be GM. In 2013, leading supermarkets abandoned the pledge to ensure their farm animals supplying meat, milk and eggs would be reared on a GM-free diet. Connor McVeigh of McDonald’s told the conference that the fast food chain sold beef from cows raised on GM crops as it was ‘becoming increasingly difficult to source non-GM feed within our supply chain’. Concerns have been raised about the potential risks to human health from GM and the heavy use of weedkillers in soy production in the Americas.