<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">It is rather significant that this story is getting major coverage in the U.S. The move to make Cheerios cereal without GMOs will make it harder for other brands to resist labeling, and increase the pressure for them to eliminate GMOs from their food products.<br>
<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">CHUCK SEARCY<br><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><i>Link and full text copied below.</i><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif">
<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><a href="http://splashurl.com/kba9rzl"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:garamond,serif"><b>Wall Street Journal</b></span></font></a><br>
</span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:verdana,sans-serif"><h1 itemprop="headline"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">General Mills Starts Making Some Cheerios Without GMOs</span></h1>
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<div class=""><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span class="">By </span></span><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><span class="" rel="author" itemprop="author">Annie Gasparro<span class=""></span></span></span>
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<a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303370904579297211874270146#" class="">connect</a>
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</span><div class=""><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Updated Jan. 2, 2014 9:16 p.m. ET<br><br></span></div><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
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</div><b><font size="1"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">General Mills expects the GMO-free Cheerios to be
available to consumers "shortly." Shown, Cheerios in a supermarket.
<span class="">Bloomberg</span></span></font></b>
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<b><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><a href="http://quotes.wsj.com/GIS" class="">General Mills</a> Inc.
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has started producing Cheerios free of genetically modified
content, making the 73-year-old breakfast cereal one of the
highest-profile brands to change in the face of growing complaints over
such ingredients from activist groups and some consumers.</span></font></b></p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></font><p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The
change—which only affects original Cheerios, not other varieties like
Honey Nut Cheerios—has been in the works since about a year ago, when
General Mills began working to change manufacturing for Cheerios to
eliminate ingredients containing genetically modified organisms, or
GMOs.</span></font></p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></font><p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The company started manufacturing
the GMO-free cereal several weeks ago, and expects it to be available to
consumers "shortly," once the products have made their way through the
distribution system and onto shelves. The Cheerios will carry the label
"Not Made With Genetically Modified Ingredients," though the company
notes that they could contain trace amounts due to contamination in
shipping or manufacturing.</span></font></p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">
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<h4><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Related</span></font></h4> <ul class=""><li> <font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><strong> <a href="http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303640604579297402878493762" target="_new" class="">GMO-Free Cheerios: What It All Means</a> </strong></span></font> </li>
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</span></font><p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Critics of GMO use in foods called
attention to the Cheerios move Thursday, hailing it as a major victory.
Advocacy groups have raised concerns about possible health problems from
eating foods with GMOs, which are crops like corn grown from seeds
genetically engineered for desirable traits like pest resistance. The
groups have promoted consumer campaigns in some states to mandate
labeling of GMOs in food, and targeted specific brands—including
Cheerios—and to change their policies.</span></font></p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></font><p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Most
big food companies have rebuffed such efforts, arguing that there is no
evidence of any health problems resulting from GMOs despite decades of
use. The food companies also generally have refused voluntarily
labeling, saying it is costly and will give consumers a misconception
that GMOs are harmful.</span></font></p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></font><p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">"There is broad
consensus that food containing GMOs is safe, but we decided to move
forward with this in response to consumer demand," said Mike Siemienas,
spokesman for General Mills.</span></font></p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></font><p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The
Minneapolis-based company said it chose Cheerios because the primary
ingredient is oats, a crop that isn't grown from genetically modified
seeds, so the transition just required it to find new sources of
cornstarch and sugar.</span></font></p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></font><p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">"Even that
required significant investment," Mr. Siemienas said. He didn't provide a
figure, but said that the hurdles would make it "difficult, if not
impossible" to make Honey Nut Cheerios and other varieties without GMOs.</span></font></p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></font><p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">GMO
Inside, a campaign that advocates GMO labeling, said Cheerios is the
first major brand of packaged food in the U.S. to make the switch from
containing GMOs to marketing itself as non-GMO. Some foreign countries
have restricted GMO use in food for years.</span></font></p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></font><p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Other
companies have also said they plan to change. Whole Foods Market Inc.
said it will require by 2018 that all food in its stores containing
GMOs, disclose the fact on labels. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. and
Kellogg Co.'s Kashi, which markets its cereals and snacks as having
"natural ingredients," have both said they are working on taking GMOs
out of their food. </span></font></p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></font><p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">But it is a lengthy
and expensive process. Kashi says only 1% of U.S. cropland is organic
and around 70% of packaged foods contain GMOs.</span></font></p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></font><p><font><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"> <strong>Write to </strong> Annie Gasparro at <a href="mailto:annie.gasparro@wsj.com" target="_new" class="">annie.gasparro@wsj.com</a></span></font></p>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:5.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:rgb(153,0,0)">====================================</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-size:5.5pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:rgb(153,0,0)">CHUCK SEARCY<br>
International Advisor, Project RENEW</span></i></b></p>
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