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All of Marks & Spencer's fresh meat and poultry, salmon, shell eggs and fresh milk comes from animals fed on non-GM diet. In response to customer concerns, M&S began to remove GM ingredients and derivatives from its foods in March 1999. Helped by the fact that its food is 'own label', by July 1999 it became the first UK and Irish retailer able to offer Non-GM products across all its range. Following its success in the prepared foods it sells, M&S decided to move towards non-GM animal feeds in 2000. Since spring 2002, it has been producing all its fresh meat and poultry, salmon, shell eggs and fresh milk from animals fed on a diet based on non-GM cereals and soya. M&S sources all its non-GM ingredients or derivatives from approved suppliers, testing any raw materials where appropriate. By carefully checking all its manufacturers' factory processes, M&S prevents its food mixing with any GM materials. M&S also works with a number of laboratories specialising in GM testing. They analyse the ingredients used in Marks & Spencer products and animal feeds, and check their food is non-GM before it goes out on the shelf. The M&S Select Farm scheme ensures its beef suppliers must source non-GM animal feed from approved suppliers. All their fresh poultry are fed on a diet including maize and soya from strictly non-GM sources. Their Oakham Gold chickens are fed on a non-GM wheat and maize based diet. All their eggs come from free range hens; their natural golden yellow yolk is the result of a cereal-based, vegetarian non-GM diet, without the use of artificial colorants; this policy includes the 250 million eggs used as ingredients in products such as quiches, cakes, pasta and biscuits. Their drinking milk is based on the use of non-GM feed for the cows.
For more information, see M&S Sustainable Development manager Mike Barry's speech at the Forging a GM-free Policy for Ireland Workshop, April 2004.
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