GMO’s in South Africa
- Danielle Klaff
- Apr 18, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: May 28, 2019
Maize in South Africa
South Africa is the only country in the world which has allowed the main staple of its diet, Maize, to be genetically modified.
Sources vary, but estimates are that South Africa plants 85% of its white maize, 55% of yellow maize crop to GM varieties, 85% of its soya, and 90% of its cotton, amounting to 2.9 million Hectares. Therefore 85% of South Africa’s basic foods are Genetically Modified.
Breads in South Africa
South Africa’s leading bread brands contain soya, most of which is genetically modified. These brands include Woolworths, Spar, Checkers and PnP white breads along with Albany, Blue Ribbon and Sunbake bread brands, belonging to Tiger Brands, Premier Foods and Foodcorp respectively.
Bread is SA’s second most staple food, after maize. The maize value chain is already entirely genetically modified, with its milling sector similarly controlled by Tiger Brands, Pioneers food and Premier foods.
All GM soya grown in SA is liberally sprayed with herbicides that contain glyphosate and other chemicals. Roundup (Monsanto’s flagship glyphosate-based herbicide) is the most popular brand in SA.
See info http://www.acbio.org.za/images/stories/dmdocuments/GM-Bread-201405.pdf from African Centre of Bio Safety.
How can you avoid GMO’s?
Read the labels, if the ingredients contain maize or soya, it is prudent to believe that it contains GM crops, unless it is otherwise stated “non GMO’.
Consumers in South Africa have recently won a hard earned victory with regard to the labelling of genetically modified (GM) foods. According to the draft amendments, all locally produced and imported food containing 5% or more GM ingredients or components must be labelled.
Choose Organic
Choosing an organic or non Genetically Modified option may be more expensive, but considering the health risk posed by GMO’s, the cost is preventative of serious long term diseases such as cancer and stomach tumours.
Organic options are widely available to shoppers in numerous stores nowadays, however the ‘man in the street’ remains unaware of the possible health risks of eating GMO food, especially as a staple diet.
Non GMO Flours
Eureaka Mills http://www.eurekamills.co.za/ prides themselves on producing flour made without GMO soya or wheat added into their grains.
Elaine Ingham, well known leader in sustainable agriculture, said the answer of healthy crop production lies in the fact that both biology and chemistry need to be balanced properly.
A no-till system in agriculture embraces the principles of sustainability in farming. It means that soil will be used as a biological system to produce healthy crops. Healthy crops contain high density nutrients which are essential for human and livestock systems. Healthy crops reduce spraying of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. The final agricultural product of this approach conforms to the needs of modern users.
Western Cape Milling http://www.wcmilling.co.za/ also produces non GMO grains and can be found in popular ‘Knead’ bakeries and selected Spar bakeries.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Ask your local bakery which brand of flour they are using. Follow up with suggesting non GMO alternatives.
Support Dr Oz in his campaign to educate people on the dangers of GMOS
Protest GMO’s
Avoid these products
TIGER BRANDS:
Purity, Elizabeth Anne’s Purity, Purity Paedia Kids.
Energade, Oros, Hall’s, Rose’s.
Tastic, Ace, Albany, Cresta, Golden Cloud, Jungle, King Korn, Morvite, Simply Cereal, Aunt Caroline.
All Gold, Black Cat, Colman’s, Crosse & Blackwell, Fatti’s & Moni’s, Ice Cap, Koo, Spray & Cook, Hugo’s.
Aroma, Bio Classic, Bio Crystal, Doom, Jayes, Peaceful Sleep.
Enterprise, Like-It-Lean, Renown, Bokkie, Mielie-Kip.
Dolly Varden, Kare, Lemon Lite, No Hair, Perfect Touch, Protein Feed, Status, Ingram’s.
Beacon, Beacon Allsorts, Anytime, Fizzer, Fizz Pop, Jelly Tots, Maynards, Wilson’s Toff-O-Luxe
PIONEER FOODS:
Sasko:
White Star Super Maize Meal, Blue Bird Special Maize Meal, Champion (samp & instant maize porridge), Sasko Flour, Sasko Quick Treats, Sasko Select, Sasko Toastie, Sasko Premium, Sasko Occasions, Duens, Spekko Rice, Select Rice, Nice Rice, Puccini Pasta, Pasta Grande, Imbo & Crossbow.
Bokomo:
Bokomo Corn Flakes, ProNutro, Weet-Bix, Nature’s Source, Right Start, Ottes, Safari Dried Fruits & Nuts, Marmite, Bovril, Peck’s Anchovette, Redro, Moir’s Baking Range, Moir’s Biscuits Tea Lovers, Marie, Lemon Creams, Munch a Lot etc. Maizena, Smash, Werda.
Quantam Foods:
Nulaid Eggs, Barn Eggs, Quantum Eggs
Tydstroom Poultry, Tydstroom Chicken, Free Range Chicken, Deboned Chicken, Whole Chicken, Braai Packs,
IQF Mixed Portions, Cater Bulk Packs.
Ceres Beverage Company:
Ceres Juices, Ceres Nectars, Ceres Fruit Nectar Concentrate, Ceres Fruit Squash Concentrate, Ceres Junior Juice, Ceres Sparkling, Ceres Spring Water, Liqui-Fruit, Liqui-Fruit Vitality, Liqui-Fruit Sparkling, Liqui-Cooler, Liqui-Fruit Barney, Acres, Fruitree, Jabba, Wild Island, Daly’s Fruity, Daly’s Premium, W. Daly & Son Super Fruit, Caribbean, Jungle Yum, Pepsi, Pepsi Light, Pepsi Max, 7-Up, 7-Up Free, Mirinda, Mountain Dew, Lipton Ice Tea, Caribbean.
Nova Feeds: Livestock Animal & Poultry Feed, commercial laying hens.
PREMIER FOODS:
Snowflake - Flours, Semolina, Bran, Easymix Cakes, Cupcakes, Muffins, Edible Cake Topping.
Blue Ribbon - Bread, Flours, Semolina, Bran.
Iwisa – Super Maize Meal, Super Sun Maize Meal, Nyala Maize Meal, Braai Pap, Special Maize Meal, Invicta Maize Rice, Invicta Samp.
Update on current SA Seed situation
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