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An announcement from the main Swedish slaughter house operator SCAN that they will no longer accept pigs for slaughter if they have been fed on GM animal feed is another major step in Sweden moving to a completely GM-free food chain. GM Freeze is repeating their call for UK retailers and producers to follow suit.

SCAN announced that from 1 September 2011 they will not accept pigs that have been fed on GM crops (mainly Monsanto’s RR soya). Other slaughterhouses are reported to be following the SCAN decision.

The move brings the company into line with Sweden’s four major retail companies, all of whom have a long-standing no-GM policy, and other producer organisations for poultry/chicken, lamb, beef, veal and milk, who have rules against GM-feed for their animals.

The move has been consumer-led. The Swedish Consumer Coalition has played a leading role in lobbying for the change, brought about despite both the pro-GM stance taken by the Swedish Government when voting at the EU Council of Ministers and criticism of retailer policies from the Swedish National Food Administration.