Rewe is Pro Planet and non-GM in Germany

The German supermarket group Rewe (14,700 outlets) announces that all dairy products sold under its  “Pro Planet” private label for organic food will be produced  without any gene modified input, in other words as gene technology free.

The Cologne-based retailer claims that over 600 of its outlets (Rewe food markets and Penny discounters) already sell dairy products meeting such standards. To get all outlets selling “Pro Planet” milk and milk products supplied with certified gene technology free ware will take about two years, reckons Rewe management.

Main factor in the production is an agreement with dairy farmers that cow rations do not contain soybean meal coming from gene modified crops. The vast majority of feed soybean is shipped to Europe from North and South America and much of this tonnage is either certified as from GM crops or contaminated to a greater or lesser degree with GM material.

To safely avoid the risk of GM ingredients being used in milk production Rewe says it is now insisting on a complete ban on soybean from overseas in the feed of cattle supplying g milk that might end up in one form or other on Rewe or Penny shelves.

Instead, European feed protein sources such as oilseed rape, field beans, peas or lupins will be used.

Currently,  German dairy processors already producing gene technology free products include yogurt and cheese specialist Zott, Berchtesgadener Land organically produced milk products, Allgäuland cheeses and, from Landliebe (Friesland Campina), premium dairy yogurts, desserts and also drinking milk.  Major German discounter Lidl now also markets own label dairy products in its Bavarian outlets guaranteed as gene technology free.