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Press releases

News releases and comments from GM Freeze are listed below.

For more information, images and interviews, please contact Liz O’Neill on 07811 211 404 or liz[at]gmfreeze.org

New Rothamsted wheat trial misses the point

Comment (4 Nov 2016)

Commenting on news that Rothamsted Research has applied for permission to carry out a field trial of GM wheat plants [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/genetically-modified-organisms-rothamsted-research-16r0802], GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill said Rothamsted’s researchers have totally missed the point – why do we want to …
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EU approval of 3 new GM crops shows real face of GM 2.0

Comment (22 Jul 2016)

Commenting on the news that the European Commission has authorised three new GM soyabeans for import, after the European Council (member countries) could not reach a decision, GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill said: We hear constantly about the hypothetical potential …
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The case for regulating Gene Edited crops

Comment (7 Feb 2016)

Commenting for an Observer story considering the forthcoming EU decision about whether or not gene editing techniques give rise to GMOs, GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill said: If this group of genetic engineering techniques escape classification as GM they could …
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Sweet Potato’s 8,000 years of natural selection

Comment (23 Oct 2015)

On 23 October the Guardian published a letter from Professor Anthony Trewavas of Scientific Alliance Scotland promoting the idea that sweet potato’s inclusion of genes naturally inserted by agrobacterium is equivalent to the creation of GM crops. We responded, as …
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Cultivating Fear or Misleading Viewers?

Comment (9 Jun 2015)

Responding to BBC One’s Panorama programme GM Food – Cultivating Fear (broadcast on Monday 8 June and available to view in the on BBC iplayer), GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill explains why viewers may have been misled. The Panorama programme focused …
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GM ingredients in Domino’s and Waitrose

Comment (21 Mar 2015)

Commenting on the news that Domino’s is selling GM pizza bases, and Waitrose has started stocking GM Hershey’s bars GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill said: Imported American sweets are bad enough but if Domino’s are making GM pizza bases here …
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MPs GM report

Comment (26 Feb 2015)

Commenting on the Science and Technololgy Committee’s report Advanced genetic techniques for crop improvement: regulation, risk and precaution, GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill, who gave evidence to the committee and is quoted in the report said: The Science and Technology …
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Sad but not suprising to hear Minister backing GM

Comment (8 Jan 2015)

Commenting on the news that Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss had publicly planned GM in a speech at the Oxford Farming Conference, GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill said: It’s sad but hardly surprising to hear the same old rhetoric from Defra. …
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GM on the shelves in Marks & Spencer

Comment (10 Nov 2014)

Commenting on the news that Marks & Spencer is stocking six products containing GM ingredients, GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill said: We have already seen American sweet treats containing GM ingredients sneaking into Tesco and other retailers, but however trendy …
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Social factors, justice and ethics are valid considerations

Comment (30 Oct 2014)

Commenting on an open letter from plant scientists backing GM, GM Freeze Director Liz O’Neill said: Those working with GM regularly complain that crop approvals are ‘blocked by politics’ but social factors, justice and ethics are perfectly valid considerations in …
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EU Council Vote Pushes GM Crop Decision to Parliament

Immediate release (12 Jun 2014)

Campaign group GM Freeze expressed disappointment today as the European Union Environment Council voted “Yes” on a controversial proposal that could see GM crops planted in UK fields as early as next year. The UK Government strongly favours GM technology, …
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