Rice contaminated in US: A chronology of events

Gene Campaign

Commercial long-grain rice in the US was found to be contaminated with LLRICE601,a GE rice variety not approved for human consumption.

July 31,2006

• Bayer Crop Science notified the  U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S.FDA (Food and Drug Administration) of the presence of trace amounts of LL (Liberty Link) RICE601,a genetically engineered rice, in samples taken from commercially available long grain rice. The samples were taken from storage facilities in the states of Arkansas and Missouri. This rice variety has not undergone USDA review for potential environmental impacts nor assessed for potential health hazards by the U.S.FDA.

• LLRICE601 was developed by Bayer Crop Science to tolerate the herbicide glufosinate ammonium made by Aventis. Bayer had field- tested this variety from 1998-2001 but never applied to USDA for market approval.

• The unapproved rice contains virus DNA suspected of causing pre-cancerous growth in animals, and bacterial DNA for resistance to glufosinate ammonium weed killer. It is a neurotoxin that can leave toxic traces on the harvested  crop and observed to cause birth defects in unborn mammals.

• It was the first time that unapproved GE rice had been found used in the U.S. commercial market. Countries that  import US rice include Mexico, Brazil, Ghana, Canada and the EU.

• The contamination was discovered in January this year but the US government was informed on July 31.US government made a public announcement only after 18 days.

 August 18,2006

• The USDA announced the contamination of commercial long-grain rice by LLRICE601,developed by Bayer. The  presence of LL601 in the food supply is illegal, as it has not been approved for human consumption.

• The USDA and FDA admitted ignorance of the quantity of rice contaminated, which products were involved or where the contaminated rice was found.

• USDA officials further stated that rice contaminated with LL601 would not be destroyed. Though Bayer does not intend to market the rice, the company plans to apply to USDA for marketing approval of LL601,apparently in an effort to limit its liability for the episode.

 August 19,2006

• Japan,the biggest U.S.rice customer, suspended imports of U.S. long-grain rice. The Japanese health ministry imposed the suspension after being informed of the presence of trace amounts of the unapproved rice variety by US federal officials.

• The ministry has urged the U.S. government to enact strict controls and instructed Japanese companies not to  process or sell any US long grain rice they may have already imported.

 August 21,2006

• Friends of the Earth, Europe called on the European Union to ban imports of American rice with immediate effect. European Union is the second largest customer of US rice after Japan. EU does not allow the import or sale of any genetically modified food.

•  FoE (UK),urging the UK government to ban imports of American rice, demanded that Bayer should make public all the necessary information on the safety testing and detection methods for LLRICE601 and that the EC and UK Foods Standards Agency recall all foods containing rice from US.

• In Nigeria, the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoE N)insisted that the Federal Government should immediately ban rice imports from the US.ERA is concerned that this contaminated rice variety may already be present in the food chain in Nigeria and Ghana.

• South Korea sought more information from the USDA on the test results that confirmed the presence of LLRICE601.

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