FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Europeans query U.S. food attitudes and policy
Top delegates visit PCC Natural Markets for answers
Seattle, WA (June 27, 2002) — High-level officials from 11 European nations are in Seattle, exploring American attitudes on genetically engineered foods and food safety. The officials today sought answers in a visit to PCC Natural Markets, the nation's largest consumer-owned natural food retail cooperative.
The delegates toured the PCC Greenlake store and asked many questions about the lack of labels on genetically engineered (GE) foods in this country, farmers' concerns about genetic drift, DNA testing for GE residues, food safety policies, and the effect on global trade. PCC's Nutrition Education Manager, Goldie Caughlan, who also is a consumer representative on the National Organic Standards Board, fielded the questions and explained U.S. organic standards. The national standards prohibit GE ingredients.
The delegates are curious why Americans are not more visibly opposed to genetically engineered (GE) foods, although surveys show the vast majority of Americans want GE foods labeled. They are interested in U.S. labeling laws and efforts to get GE foods labeled here. Every one of their home nations has moratoriums or outright prohibitions against GE food production or sale.
The delegates are part of the U.S. State Department's International Visitor Program, which brings high-level visitors to the U.S. each year to meet professional counterparts and to experience the U.S. firsthand. The visitors are top officials in agriculture, government, the environment, the media, and education.
In Seattle, the program is run under the umbrella of the World Affairs Council, a non-profit non-partisan organization whose purpose is to promote greater understanding of global affairs in the Puget Sound community through the international visitor program and other educational activities.
The countries represented are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Sweden, and the U.K. (Northern Ireland).