TUESDAY, MAY 29, 2001

Nestle factory in GM row

HONG KONG (AFP) - Greenpeace activists chained themselves to a Nestle factory in Hong Kong Monday alleging it had reneged on pledges to phase out genetically modified (GM) ingredients in its products.

The environmental protection group said activists had chained themselves to the Swiss giant's factory entrance in Yuen Long, in the New Territories, in a pre-dawn raid.

Greenpeace said it had found two Nestle products sold in Hong Kong -- fresh soya milk and a beancurd dessert -- containing GM ingredients in 1999. Tests conducted this year found the ingredients were still being used in the products, the group alleged.

Greenpeace claimed a Nestle letter dated February 8, 2000 had said the food company was in the process of substituting GM ingredients where possible.

The letter had added Nestle would "refrain from using genetically modified ingredients where consumers are reluctant to accept it," according to Greenpeace.

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