BRUSSELS: Prospects of a European Union ban on import of rice from the U.S. loomed large as EU authorities sought details of a gene-modified and unapproved rice variety developed by Bayer CropScience AG, which may have found way into rice consignments meant for export to Europe.
The U.S. agriculture secretary Mike Johanns had notified the European Commission last week that trace elements of an unauthorized, genetically modified rice were detected in long grain rice samples that were meant for commercial use. While the U.S. authorities have assured Brussels there is no environmental or human health risk by using the rice by humans or animals, the commission is seeking information, which may be indicative of its indication in imposing curbs on imports.
A commission spokesperson, Antonia Mochan, told a news conference that the commission is seeking information that it needs to make a decision from the U.S. authorities as well as Bayer.
She added, "We are dealing with this as a matter of the utmost urgency and will take the measures that are needed as quickly as we can in order to protect the European consumers."
Bayer CropScience, a division of Bayer AG, had towards end-July informed U.S. agriculture and food safety authorities after carrying out field tests that the genetically engineered rice -- known as LLRICE 601 -- has been found in rice bins in Arkansas and Missouri. Bayer had field-tested the modified rice from 1998 to 2001, and it had earlier affected the rice crop in 2005.
The company said Friday LLRICE 601 produces a protein offering herbicide tolerance. The company claimed the protein is well known to regulators and has been confirmed safe for food and feed use in a number of crops by regulators in many countries, including the EU, Japan, Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
The EU had banned imports of corn animal from the U.S. in 2005 following a similar incident.
Mochan said the commission is interested in information about risk assessment and detection methods from the U.S. and Bayer.
The U.S. had exported 224,000 tons of rice to the 25-nation European Union in 2005, of which 198,000 tons were long-grain rice.
The U.S. department of agriculture said it is planning to begin the process of approving the rice in question for commercial use.
Meanwhile, South Korea too has sought information from the U.S. on the rice. Japan has already banned import of U.S. long grain rice earlier last week following an alert on genetically modified products forming part of the consignments.
EU countries had been following a rigid policy on the use of genetically modified food as compared to the U.S. The World Trade Organization in a ruling in February had said the EU regulations on import of genetically modified food items violated international trade rules. EU countered the criticism saying it had already made its rules flexible even before the WTO ruling.
