Policy Statement on GMO's

10 March 1999
(Although issued on 10 March 1999, our position remains unchanged. Numerical data such as the number of growers has, of course, changed since then.)

The UK sugar beet crop, from which sugar is extracted and sold in the retail market under the Silver Spoon brand and to the food industry direct by British Sugar, has not been the subject of any genetic modification beyond the well-established processes of selective plant breeding. Neither are there any plans to introduce genetically modified varieties in the foreseeable future.

British Sugar is carefully monitoring the views of its customers and the end consumer towards this technology. It is also reviewing the progress of the new gene technologies in respect of the benefits and risks which may accrue and the legislative processes.

British Sugar as the sole processor of UK home-grown sugar beet purchases the entire crop from around 9000 growers all of whom are under contract to the company. British Sugar issues a list of recommended seed varieties to growers selected from the statutory NIAB (National Institute of Agricultural Botany) list. Growers purchase the seed from this list, and British Sugar is the sole supplier to farmers of this seed. In this way the integrity of UK home-grown sugar is assured.

In common with several other crops in the UK, sugar beet, has been used by scientists in experimental studies into herbicide resistance. These trials, have to be carried out under strictly controlled conditions following formal agreement from the regulatory authorities.

As genetically modified sugar beet is not cleared for food use in the UK, it is illegal to grow it for commercial purposes. It is therefore required that all experimental plants are destroyed, and it is the statutory responsibility of the trial "consent holder" to ensure that this happens. Although British Sugar has no involvement in such trials, in addition to these legislative controls, the company has its own rigorous monitoring procedures to ensure that plants grown under these circumstances are ultimately destroyed.