Updated 16 July, 2002 01:43 GMT Daylight Time

The letter below was a last attempt to persuade the MEPs that contamination of food with GMOs is unacceptable and that the 1% level, whereby no labeling is needed, is CRAP.

Although voting did support Karin Scheele's amendment to reduce the 'acceptable level to 0.5%: as it's still CRAP, a new letter shall be drafted shortly to draw more attention to the sloppy legisaltion.

The <gmofnet.gif> below has been redrawn with 0.5% replacing the original 1%.

Hell lo. MEPs  

Excuse my attempt at humour but nervousness make me laugh when I don't know what else to do. Although the tomatoes may get the last laugh, this is no laughing matter.

As you are aware I am concerned that legislation on the labelling of GM contamination in foods is inappropriate.

It'll soon be 14.15 2nd July and you will have the chance to vote in favour of swimming in the soup of genetic misrepresentation or walking the tight rope. Not an easy choice I see, but there's always a safety net. At least a 1% one. Not good enough to catch a swimming tomato; would you trust your life to it?  

1% of what?

• total weight of natural product?
• total weight of consumer product? (what happens if a consumer makes a concentrate from what appears to be a GM free product ?)
• total weight of only the protein material?
• total weight of the protein that has been altered?
• total weight of all genes?

1% of what?

Give my apologies to the FSA and WTO but I'm not buying it?
They can afford not to sell it, and I can't afford to buy it

Pull the other fin, don't take me for a fool, don't take me for a ride.
There's more to this than meets the eye, there's always another side!

Concerned   Roger Lovejoy

cc.  The Guardian, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, BBC TV .