Following was sent out to people who have complained to Sainsbury's via letter over their
use a GM feed for cows to produce their milk products.
Personally I only buy half pint cartons (of soya) but many will still be excluded by
both price and the size of cartons they're selling it in (see letter).Makes a mockery of
the latter comment about supplying everyones 'needs'. Also,of course no mention of their
other milk products-cans of rice pudding for example.


Dear....

I am writing further to your letter about dairy cattle fed on genetically modified (GM) feed, and our recent response. I thought you mighty be interested to learn of a new development.

At the beginning of June, we announced the launch of a new milk from cows fed on animal feed guaranteed to only include non-GM soya and maize. This milk, called ‘Selected Farm semi-skimmed pasteurised milk’, will be sold as a trial in 105 selected stores from the end of June, alongside more than 45 other types of milk. The new milk will be clearly labelled as being from cows fed on non-GM feed and there will be shelf signs and leaflets to draw attention to the product. The trial will run for a minimum of twelve weeks, and we will regularly review how it performs.

The ‘ Selected farm Milk’ will sell for 63p for two pints, which is 5p more than our standard semi-skimmed two pint milk. This reflects the additional costs of producing the new milk but we will not make any more profit than we do on our standard milk. Neither will farmers who produce this milk be financially penalised. The extra costs not only come from the assurance that the cattle feed is guaranteed to be from non-GM sources but that also from the dedicated collection, processing and distribution steps we have put in place for the milk.

This new milk is something our dairy team and our suppliers have been working on since the end of last year. During the trial the milk will only be available in small amounts but we will look at expanding the supply if customers demand it. Our policy is to offer our customers a range of products to suit their tastes, preferences and needs. In the same way as we introduced our organic range in 1986 in response to a small but growing customer demand, this milk has been developed to allow customers to make a choice. In common with all our product launches, it is our customers who will ultimately decide whether or not it is successful.

I do hope you find this information useful. Thank you again for your interest in Sainsbury’s.

Yours sincerely. Justin King. Group Chief Executive.
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