IF YOU are what you eat, how can you know what is being added to the food that feeds your family?

Recent weeks have seen a storm blow up over the unacknowledged use of genetically modified (GM) ingredients in everyday foods.

Major companies have been accused of playing with public health and the environment in their quest to gain a grip on world agriculture.

The World questioned local supermarkets on whether they were keeping shoppers informed about what was on the menu.

While labelling will become compulsory later this year, many supermarkets claim to be ahead of the Government.

Morrisons do not currently label their goods but are making plans to do so.

Spokeswoman Nicola Perez said: "We are in the process of clearly labelling any own-label product which might contain a GM ingredient.

"We are currently looking into the feasibility of reformulating certain existing products to avoid the use of GM ingredients and of sourcing GM-free foods in the future."

Meanwhile Asda spokesman Nick Agarwal claimed that his company warned suppliers six months ago that it would not accept products containing any new GM ingredients.

He said that Asda would only use "certified'" GM products and would not use any in its own-brand goods.

"Our GM labelling programme actually commenced in June 1997," he said. "We believe it was unacceptable that growers, predominantly American and French, failed to segregate GM soya at harvest from conentionally produced supplies. Asda does not want to see further crops introduced."

Louisa Graveney, a spokeswoman for Kwik Save and Somerfield, said: "It is our intention to label all GM additives as soon as possible."

Tesco spokesman David Sawday said: "We label very clearly where it occurs. Labelling is the best we can do in a current climate."

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