Groups Call on Grocery Stores to Reject GM Salmon, Produce

Call comes after Parliament votes down mandatory labelling for genetically modified foods

Avaaz members protest against the world's first genetically modified salmon approved for human consumption—which opponents have dubbed frankenfish—outside the Food and Drug Administration’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, April 22, 2013. Paul Morigi/AP Images for Avaaz

Public interest groups are calling on grocery stores to reject the sale of newly approved genetically modified salmon and produce after a private member’s bill that proposed mandatory labelling for GM foods was shot down in Parliament last week.

The Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN), which represents 16 groups ranging from farmer’s unions to grassroots awareness groups, says the government’s voting down of Bill C-291 to label GM foods goes against the interest of Canadians.

“This was an important opportunity for members of Parliament to vote for transparency in the food system when it comes to genetically modified foods and they chose not to,” said CBAN spokeswoman Lucy Sharratt.

“This is baffling to many Canadians and has been met with a lot of anger.”

Sharratt said that for 20 years, polls have shown a staggering majority of Canadians want mandatory labelling of GM foods, including a 2016 Ipsos Reid scientific poll conducted for Health Canada that shows 78 percent desire labels showing which foods contain genetically modified organisms.

This is baffling to many Canadians and has been met with a lot of anger.

— Lucy Sharratt, Canadian Biotechnology Action Network