General Mills to stop using using genetically-modified ingredients in Cheerios

General Mills to stop using using genetically-modified ingredients in Cheerios (GETTY IMAGES)

Food Giant General Mills has announced it will stop using genetically-modified ingredients in best-selling cereal Cheerios after pressure from consumers and campaign groups.

The US firm, whose other major brands in the UK include Häagen-Dazs ice cream and Jus Rol pastry, has changed its Cheerio recipe in the US in the face of growing opposition to GM additives. Facebook campaign groups and websites have been set up to call for GM-free Cheerios in the US.

"It's not about safety. Genetically modified seeds have been approved by global food safety agencies and widely used by farmers in global food crops for almost 20 years," General Mills claimed.

In the UK, Cheerios are manufactured by Nestle and are believed to be free of GM ingredients. 

In November, a Washington state ballot measure that would have required labeling of foods containing GM crops failed to win wide approval.

A consortium including General Mills, Nestle USA and PepsiCo helped raise some $22 million to campaign against the bill.