Australians more GM wary

By LIAM DANN

Research shows that Australian consumers are more sensitive about genetically modified foods than New Zealanders.

A study by Australian research company Roy Morgan has found that 55 per cent of Australians will not buy GM food if they can help it, compared with 49 per cent of New Zealanders.

The survey found that New Zealand attitudes were more closely aligned to those of US consumers, and Australians were following British trends.

Of UK consumers surveyed, 55 per cent said they avoided GM food where possible. In the US - where GM food is more widely available - 46 per cent did the same.

Concerns were raised this week that GM contamination involving New Zealand-grown sweetcorn might damage the reputation of New Zealand's food exports.

A pizza manufacturer in Japan received positive GM test results on a topping containing processed kernels from a Gisborne farm.

Many foreign markets were highly sensitive to the threat of GM contamination, said Sustainability Council executive director Simon Terry.

Last week the European Parliament passed legislation that will require all products sold in Europe to be labelled if there is more than 0.9 per cent GM content.

Very little New Zealand corn is exported to Europe. It is mostly sold into Australia and Asian markets.

The vegetable industry is optimistic that the GM corn revelations will not damage export earnings.

Most corn exported from New Zealand is processed or frozen.

It is marketed by big food companies such as McCain Foods and Heinz-Wattie's.

Heinz-Wattie's had extremely good relationships with its customers, said managing director Nigel Comer.

They understood that the company had very high standards for ensuring its product was GM-free, he said.

He was not concerned about any impact on sales at this stage.

As well as MAF testing, the company conducted its own tests of imported seeds and of all its products.

Despite the discovery being made in Japan, the story did not feature in the online English language newspaper the Japan Times.

Vegefed chief executive Peter Silcock said he did not expect the scandal to create fallout for the wider industry.

"I don't see that it will impact on the exports of other vegetable products," he said.

Most of New Zealand's vegetable industry was based on imported seed, but corn was one of only a handful of crops that had GM versions released commercially offshore, he said.

An official from Trade New Zealand said that so far there had been no negative feedback reported from officials overseas.