Ask the experts: GM ingredients

Q. “I choose not to buy foods for my family that contain genetically modified ingredients. For this reason I haven’t purchased Inghams chickens, Milo or Allens Lollies for a long time now. I’d read that Milo has a GM ingredient in it and due to a huge drop in sales in Australia, their Milo is GM free, but as New Zealanders didn’t seem to mind, ours still has the GM ingredients in it. Allens lollies I’d also read use genetically modified ingredients. Inghams chicken I’d read were fed on genetically modified chicken feed. Are you able to confirm whether or not these foods still use GM ingredients or have they stopped using them?”

Tracy

A. We asked the companies directly for the answers to these questions.

Maurice Gunnell, spokesperson for Nestlé NZ, which makes Milo and Allen’s lollies, told us:

“All products Nestlé NZ sell (this includes Allen’s lollies and Milo) do not contain GM ingredients and none ever have.”

Inghams national sales manager John Reeves provided us with their GM policy, and told us:

“We would like to assure customers that Inghams is committed to continuing to source non-GM ingredients for its poultry products.

The use of GM soy in feed does not compromise the absolute GM-free status of the poultry products the company produces.

Inghams try at all times, and in the first instance, to source ingredients that are not genetically modified (GM) in the feed. If there is a possibility of GM soy in the feed, this does not transfer into the chicken meat and therefore all Inghams chickens and products are GM-free.

Animals that eat feed with a component of GM soy are no different to other animals that may have been fed a low-GM or GM-free diet.

All ingredients added to the chicken, through further processing, are GM-free ingredients.