[1244] in peace2
Rally round a star
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Julia Steinberger)
Fri Nov 16 20:24:29 2001
Message-Id: <200111170124.UAA23013@department-of-alchemy.mit.edu>
To: peace-list@MIT.EDU, greens-announce@MIT.EDU
Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 20:24:18 -0500
From: Julia Steinberger <julias@MIT.EDU>
You are invited to attend a nice family-friendly rally!
Ask (no, screw that! Demand) that Star market treat us
as well as it does it's British customers by making
it's brand food non-genetically modified.
(sounds unreasonable? Trader Joe's agreed to do just
this week! we can totally win!)
Please reply to this email at lsetchell@cleanwater.org!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
RALLY FOR A GMO-FREE STAR MARKET!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WHEN: SATURDAY, Nov. 17,(TOMORROW), 3-5pm
WHERE: STAR MARKET 1065 Commonwealth Ave. Allston, MA
WHY:
1. CELEBRATE THE TRADER JOE'S VICTORY!
Earlier this week, nation-wide food retailer, Trader Joe's announced
that they will remove all genetically engineered ingredients from their
product lines. According to company spokespeople, their decision is a
direct response to customer demand for food free of genetically
engineered ingredients. Trader Joe's decision marks the first mainstream
consumer victory in the U.S.! It is also a major local victory for the
Safe Foods Campaign which joined the nation-wide effort in April.
2. TELL STAR MARKET IT'S THEIR TURN NOW!
It is now more important than ever to demonstrate public opposition to
genetically engineered food. This Saturday the Safe Foods Campaign is
sponsoring a GE-FREE rally at Star Market. The rally will be both a
celebration and a demonstration of the consumer concern about the health
and environmental safety of genetically engineered crops.
=> IMPORTANT: We need as many people as possible to attend Saturday's event
to demonstrate that their is public demand for gmo-free food! Bring
signs with your favorite No GMO slogan!
For more information call Linda Setchell, Safe Foods Campaign at
617-338-8131 or email lsetchell@cleanwater.org. Safe Foods Campaign
information can be found at www.cleanwaterfund.org/safefoods.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Despite the fact that Genetically Modified Organisms have not been
safety tested by the federal government, they are in hundreds of
products on our grocery store shelves. For the past year, the Safe Foods
Campaign has been calling on Star Market and Shaw's to remove
genetically modified organisms from their product lines. To date Star
Market headquarters has received over 10,000 postcards from concerned
customers across New England. Star Market's parent company JSainsbury
removed genetically modified organisms from their product lines in 1999,
but they have refused to extend this policy to their US customers.
Threats to Public Health
Last fall a variety of genetically modified corn not approved for human
consumption was found in Taco Bell taco shells. It was subsequently
found in over 300 corn-based products across the country which had to be
recalled off grocery store shelves. 17 people reported allergic
reactions after eating products containing the gmo corn known as
Starlink. This summer the EPA continued to ban it for human consumption.
Environmental Damage
Canola plants that have been genetically modified to resist the spraying
of herbicides such as Monsanto's Round-Up Ready have cross-pollinated
with weedy relatives on the edges of canola fields across Canada,
resulting in the creation of superweeds, or weeds that do not respond to
the spraying of herbicides.
Shaw's has stated that they will listen to customer demands.
