Australia’s culinary icon Margaret Fulton today launched the “Canola Edition” of the Greenpeace True Food Guide in Sydney.

The guide, which aims to help consumers avoid buying genetically engineered food products, was welcomed by industry and consumer representatives and top chefs at the launch event, hosted by Bird Cow Fish head chef Alex Herbert.

Coles, Aldi and IGA Metcash, top users of canola oil Goodman Fielder, Unilever and Peerless foods, and some of the big consumer food brands including Kellogs, Heinz,Arnott’s, Carman’s Fine Foods, King Island Dairy and Lilydale, are now listed as “green” in the True Food Guide and will “actively avoid ingredients from GE crops”.

This major industry rejection comes at a time when Australia’s first genetically engineered canola is being harvested in New South Wales and Victoria.

Fulton said, “This is the first time so many food brands have pledged their commitment to use only natural non-GE produce; it is so reassuring to see how far we have come from the launch of the first True Food Guide in 2002. It is fantastic that GE-free shopping can now be easy and affordable.”

Jackie Healing, Coles quality manager said, "Coles developed its current range of house brands to exclude genetically modified ingredients after we recognised our customers’ concerns about the technology and its use in the food they purchase from us."

The wallet-sized GE-free shopping guide also provides information about food products which “may allow GE ingredients” to help consumers make an informed choice.

Michelle Sheather, Greenpeace genetic engineering campaigner said, “The timely response from a majority of the food industry means that although GE canola will enter our food chain unlabelled, we can still avoid eating GE food. There is no future in GE food; we need to keep GE food and crops out of Australia.”

Chefs, mothers, nutritionists and leading groups have joined Greenpeace in asking for labelling of all GE food - including oils and products from animals (milk eggs, meat, honey) fed on GE feed.

The True Food Guide can be downloaded at www.truefood.org.au