Fast food chains: No genetically modified spuds Friday, 28 April 2000 16:03 (ET)

Fast food chains: No genetically modified spuds

http://www.vny.com/cf/News/upidetail.cfm?QID=82487

ST. LOUIS, April 28 (UPI) - Fast food chains reportedly are telling their French fry suppliers not to use genetically modified potatoes, prompting companies like J.R. Simplot Co. to instruct their farmers not to grow Monsanto's "NewLeaf" spud.

Monsanto said Friday less than 3 percent of the potatoes grown have been genetically modified.

"This technology continues to be affirmed safe by three regulatory agencies," Monsanto spokesman Bryan Hurley said. "That's never been called into question. The benefit for farmers and consumers is that you have the possibility of reducing pesticides up to 80 percent...consumers are very interested in any food that reduces the amount of pesticide used in the process."

Fred Zerza, a spokesman for Boise, Idaho-based Simplot, said a number of the company's customers - both fast food chains and white-tablecloth restaurants - asked to receive only conventional spuds.

As a result "we did ask our growers not to supply us with genetically modified potatoes this year," Zerza said. "Last year we contracted for about 4 percent of our total acreage. A good number of our customers...requested that we supply them with non-GMO products. With respect for that position, we did not contract for GMO potatoes.

"We think that GMO potatoes and biotech in agriculture generally is an important tool and it has great potential and we will be watching it in the future. But for this year, we are not processing GMO potatoes."

Zerza would not identify the customers making the request but did say it was "a majority" of the company's clients.

Burger King told the Wall Street Journal its suppliers have assured its French fries come from conventional potatoes.

McDonald's spokesman Walt Riker refused to say whether the hamburger giant has asked to eliminate genetically modified spuds from its menu because releasing such information would give competitors an unfair advantage. However, he added, "If producers aren't producing it, then we'll be out of it too."

Riker said McDonald's has not received much reaction from consumers to the issue, which has sparked raging debate overseas with the European Union balking at importing corn and soybeans grown with Monsanto's genetically modified seeds.

The issue also sparked demonstrations at the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle earlier this year.

Potato farmers took to Monsanto's NewLeaf four years ago. The potato contains a micro-organism that makes a toxin that repels the Colorado Potato Beetle.

The Journal said farmers planted 50,000 acres of NewLeaf potatoes last year. Acreage, however, is expected to drop this year.

One of the nation's largest potato producers, Ronald Offutt of Fargo, N.D., said he decided to eliminate NewLeaf after Proctor & Gamble Co. asked him how long it would take him to supply only conventional potatoes for its Pringles chips.

Frito-Lay has told its corn farmers not to use genetically modified seeds.

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