<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><h1 id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2212">Cheerios drops genetically modified ingredients</h1><div id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2282" class="">
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.usatoday.com/staff/688/bruce-horovitz"><span class="">
Bruce Horovitz, USA TODAY
</span></a><span id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2301" class="">7:59 p.m. EST January 2, 2014<br><br></span></div><div id="yiv9497570313module-position-M3ZtDLx9WV8" class=""><div id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2271" class="">
<div id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2270" class=""><img id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2281" class="" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/36b21bd059d90cb804b3b44d1a1b75dbe41b1b6c/c=0-0-2333-1753&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/test/2014/01/02//1388708878000-AP-Earns-General-Mills.jpg" alt="AP Earns General Mills" width="420" height="315"><span class=""></span></div>
<p id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2273" class=""><span class="">(Photo: Danny Johnston, AP)</span></p></div></div>
<p id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2296">Under
pressure from consumers and activist groups, General Mills says it will
stop using genetically modified ingredients to make its original
Cheerios cereal.</p><p id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2280">While the oats used to make Cheerios have never
contained any genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the company did
make changes to its sourcing � and now, for example, only uses non-GMO
pure cane sugar instead of beet sugar, says spokesman Mike Siemienas.</p><p id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2279">The
change was made "many weeks" ago, says Siemienas, who declined to be
more specific on the timing. "We do value our Cheerios fans and we do
listen to their thoughts and suggestions," he says, in an e-mail.</p><p id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2285">Some
consumers have health and environmental concerns over the use of GMOs,
though there is little scientific proof that products made with GMOs are
less safe. The move is being hailed by anti-GMO activist groups as a
major victory. It comes at a time activists have been increasingly
pressuring American food makers to remove GMOs from all foods � or, at
the very least, label all foods that do contain GMOs.</p><p id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2295">Last year,
Whole Foods became the first national grocery chain to require all of
its suppliers to label all products that contain GMOs by 2018. In the
past year, Chipotle announced plans to phase out GMOs and Kashi is also
is taking action to phase out GMOs.</p><p id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2286">But General Mills has no plans
to phase out GMOs from its other cereals in the U.S, even though most
Cheerios varieties sold in Europe are made without GMOs. "For our other
(non-organic) cereals, the widespread use of GM seed in crops such as
corn, soy, or beet sugar would make reliably moving to non-GM
ingredients difficult, if not impossible," says the company, in a
statement.</p><p id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2287">Even then, the latest action by Cheerios maker General Mills could nudge other big food makers to follow.</p><p id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2288">"This
is a big deal," says Todd Larsen, corporate responsibility director at
Green America, a green economy activist group. "Cheerios is an iconic
brand and one of the leading breakfast cereals in the U.S." What's more,
he adds, "We don't know of any other example of such a major brand of
packaged food, eaten by so many Americans, going from being GMO to
non-GMO. "</p><p id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2289">One year ago, the group used social media efforts to
rally consumers to pressure General Mills to make Cheerios without GMOs.
Cheerios was picked, in part, because it's one of the first foods
given to many toddlers.</p><p id="yui_3_13_0_ym1_1_1388767336438_2290">As for the taste of Cheerios, well, that
won't change, says Siemienas. "Cheerios remains the same great-tasting,
wholesomely good cereal that's been a family favorite for years."</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:5.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:rgb(153,0,0)">CHUCK SEARCY<br>
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