Help others say "No!" to GM animal feed
Advice and free materials for stalls in your communities
Get GM chocolate off Tesco shelves
Tesco are selling a chocolate bar with labelled GM ingredients. Did they think we wouldn't notice?
31 Jan 2010
GM chocolate still in Scotland
We've received information that these chocolates continue to be sold in Sainsbury's and Tesco in Scotland, so please include them in your letter writing and let us know what they say.
However, there is also information coming in that a non-GM version of this bar is for sale in some other shops. If there is a choice to be made and Tesco and Sainsbury are CHOOSING to stock GM, we'll let you know.
What you can do
Please write to Tesco and tell them you don't want to see GM labels on their shelves.
Mike outside Tesco. You can download one of his signs here.
Points to include:
- remind them their customers do not want them to have an "open mind" about GM, perhaps asking them how many customers write in asking for more GM on the shelves.
- ask for a list of all products Tesco sells which contain GM or are fed a GM diet so shoppers can avoid them.
- point out that if Tesco are increasing their use of GM, shoppers may well take their business to supermarkets (like Aldi) with more progressive and responsive practices.
Background to this action
We have just learned that a product on sale in the UK contains at least three GM ingredients, and we'd like you to help get it off the shelves.
Hershey's Nutrageous chocolate bars have been spotted in Tesco stores. The items are clearly labelled as containing GM soya, sugar and corn.
We need to get Tesco to stop selling these items and any others that also contain GM ingredients. There are a number of things you can do, but recommended actions include:
- take lots of them to the check out and refuse to buy them, explaining why to the store manager
- leave a card in the on-shelf display alerting other shoppers to the fact that they contain GM ingredients (a template is available here)
- write to your local Tesco manager and Tesco HQ telling them you do not want to see GM ingredients on their shelves. (Tesco: Chief Executive, New Tesco House, Delamare Road, Cheshunt, Hertforshire EN8 9SL)
This type of action is usually very successful.
If you see these items or others containing GM at other shops, it would really help if you could let us know by contacting us at the email below telling us what product you found and where it was.
If you would like to take the matter further, you could also write to Hershey's directly at: Public Relations Department, The Hershey Company, PO Box 810, 100 Crystal A Drive, Hershey, PA 17033 (or online at www.hersheys.com/contactus/)
Thank you for your help.
All previous updates
19 Jan 2009
Tesco think you WANT the GM chocolate
Mike has written in saying that Tesco are sending out form letters saying their GM policy is "driven by the views of [their] customers", so he decided he needed to take further action to make those views clear.
Mike decided to let passers by know about Tesco selling GM (see picture above).
In the meantime, keep writing - Tesco have noticed.
06 Feb 2009
Tesco say: "We're selling GM"...
A supporter has forwarded a response from Tesco customer services confirming information from Tesco's buyer that they are selling the chocolate with GM ingredients.
We knew this, it's on their shelves.
This response does not show any indication of removing the GM chocolates from sale. Tesco also sell GM cooking oil and meat, milk, and other products from animals reared on GM feed (see action GM animal feed). Other responses from Tesco on GM say, "We'll keep an open mind as technology develops, listening and responding to our customers."
Tesco boss Terry Leahy gave the City Food Lecture on 28 January 2009. His talk ("Consumers, Competition and a Changing World" see www.cityfoodlecture.com/ to listen) repeatedly reminded his audience that retailers must provide what their customers want or their customers will go elsewhere.
10 Mar 2009
GM chocolate found in Scotland
We've received information that these chocolates have been spotted in Sainsbury's and Tesco in Scotland. Please include them in your letter writing and let us know what they say.
31 Jan 2010
GM chocolate still in Scotland
We've received information that these chocolates continue to be sold in Sainsbury's and Tesco in Scotland, so please include them in your letter writing and let us know what they say.
However, there is also information coming in that a non-GM version of this bar is for sale in some other shops. If there is a choice to be made and Tesco and Sainsbury are CHOOSING to stock GM, we'll let you know.