Even Prince Charles has got into the act. He wrote a newspaper article, which is now featured on his royal website, questioning the value of GM food. The papers defend their anti-GM stance, insisting they are responding to public concern. While papers rail against genetically modified food, supermarkets are removing them from the shelves. The Iceland chain has banned GM ingredients from all brand name products.
Critics call it a cynical marketing ploy.
British consumers are unusually sensitive to food safety issues. Dioxin scandals in Belgium and recent reports of sewage being used in animal feed in France have heightened concerns about food safety. The British government has tried to reassure the public. In 1998 it enacted a European Union law requiring the labelling of all food containing GM products. In 1999 it went a step further and demanded that the country's half-million pubs, cafes and restaurants list GM ingredients on menus.