Illegal genetically engineered Chinese rice discovered in Europe

Health risks require immediate recall and import ban

Amsterdam - Greenpeace International released findings today that show illegal genetically engineered (GE) rice from China has contaminated food products in France, Germany and the UK. Greenpeace International has notified authorities that the illegal GE rice poses serious health risks and calls upon European governments to take immediate action to protect consumers.

Greenpeace offices and Friends of the Earth in the UK tested samples of rice products such as vermicelli, rice sticks and other processed foods. Five positive samples were found containing an illegal GE not approved anywhere in the world. However this could be the tip of the iceberg with rice products included in everything from baby food to yoghurt. (1)

"These findings are shocking and should trigger high-level responses", said Jeremy Tager, GE rice campaigner, Greenpeace International. "Consumers should not be left swallowing experimental GE rice that is risky to their health."

The illegal GE rice, genetically engineered to be resistant to insects, contains a protein or fused protein (Cry1Ac) that has reportedly induced allergic-like reactions in mice (2). Three independent scientists with expertise in the field of GE and health have issued a statement backing the health concerns raised by Greenpeace International. (3)

Greenpeace International is calling for immediate worldwide recall, measures to ensure no further contaminated rice enters the EU and the urgent implementation of a preventative screening system for countries with high contamination risks. Demanding GE free certification for food from countries that grow and produce GE crops is reasonable, cost effective, and necessary to protect Europe's consumers.

This recent rice contamination in China began with field trials; the rice is not currently approved for commercial growing because of mounting concerns over its safety. Yet an investigation by Greenpeace in 2005 showed that research institutes and seed companies in China had been illegally selling unapproved GE rice seeds to farmers. (4)

"Innocent consumers again become the victims of the GE industry's 'contamination first' strategy", says Tager.  "A group of rogue scientists pushing for the approval of GE rice in China, leaked the illegal seeds to the market and have created major genetic contamination", said Tager. Just two weeks ago, the US commercial rice supply was contaminated with an illegal GE rice developed by Bayer. The contamination is believed to be rife - despite the fact that the rice never moved beyond open field trials.  Already two ships have been detained and the EU and Japan have imposed testing and certification requirements on US rice.  "Once illegal GE crops are in the food chain, removing them takes enormous effort and cost. It is easier to prevent contamination in the first place," concluded Tager.

Greenpeace campaigns for GE-free crop and food production that is grounded in the principles of sustainability, protection of biodiversity and providing all people to have access to safe and nutritious food. Genetic engineering is an unnecessary and unwanted technology that contaminates the environment, threatens biodiversity and poses unacceptable risks to health.

For more information contact:
Jeremy Tager,
Greenpeace International GE rice campaigner
+31 6 4622 1185
Suzette Jackson,
Greenpeace International communications officer
+31 6 4619 7324

Images are available of the contaminated rice products
Contact the Greenpeace International picture desk +31 20 718 2058

Notes to editors:
(1) All tests were conducted by an accredited and independent laboratory.  Details available in background briefing 'Illegal experimental GE Rice from China: Now entering Europe's Food chain'. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/ IllegalChinaGErice
(2) Moreno-Fierros, L.et al. (2000). Intranasal, rectal and intraperitoneal immunization with protoxin Cry1Ac from Bacillus thuringiensis induces compartmentalized serum, intestinal, vaginal and pulmonary immune responses in Balb/c mice. Microbes Infect 2(8): 885-90
(3) Scientists statement from Pr. Ian F.Pryme, Dept. of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Norway. Pr. Gilles-Eric Séralini, Président du Conseil Scientifique, du CRII GEN, Université de Caen, France. Dr. Christian Velot, Conseil Scientifique du CRII GEN, Institut de Génétique et, Microbiologie, Université Paris-Sud, France.available at http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/reports/ ScientistStatementHealthConcernsGErice
(4) Further testing indicated that the whole food chain had been contaminated, with the most recent case being the contaminated Heinz rice cereal products in Beijing, Guangzhou and Hongkong. The Chinese government, in the wake of the situation, reportedly punished seed companies and destroyed illegally grown GE rice.

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EU: Food COs Risk Legal Action If Import Illegal GMO Crops
The Wall Street Journal
September 6 2006
http://www.truthabouttrade.org/article.asp?id=6275

Brussels -- European Union food companies that import illegal genetically modified foods risk legal action by national governments, the European Commission said Tuesday after environmental groups said an illegal and potentially dangerous biotech strain has been found in Chinese food products sold in the U.K., Germany and France.

Greenpeace International and Friends of the Earth Tuesday said their experts found Chinese rice-based products sold in Asian supermarkets in Germany, the U.K. and France contaminated with an experimental strain of genetically engineered rice that's not been approved for human consumption.

The groups called for an immediate ban on Chinese rice.

The European Commission said the groups should submit their samples and findings to national test centers and the E.U.'s central biotechnology laboratory in Italy.

"The presence of traces of unauthorized GMO food in the E.U. is illegal and it is the responsibility of food operators to ensure that they do not place on the market food that doesn't comply with E.U. law. Food operators are clearly not doing enough," E.U. food and consumer protection spokesman Philip Tod said.

The Commission wrote Friday to food operators telling them "that they are not doing enough" to ensure imports are free of illegal biotech strains, Tod said. European governments should punish companies importing illegal crops.

"We would expect member states to take action against any companies not complying with their obligations under E.U. food law."

The food scare is the second in as many weeks and casts doubt over the ability of biotech companies to control their crops. Late last month Europe imposed strict screeing rules on imports of U.S.-farmed long-grain rice following the discovery of an illegal biotech strain in commercial stocks there.

European food safety experts - who have the power to impose import bans - are meeting in Brussels Tuesday and Wednesday. It is unclear whether the issue will be discussed.

Greenpeace warned the strain "poses serious health risks" and called on European governments to "take immediate action to protect consumers." It said the rice -- which is modified to resist insects -- contains a protein that has reportedly induced allergic-like reactions in mice.

"Five positive samples were found containing an illegal GE not approved anywhere in the world. However, this could be the tip of the iceberg with rice products included in everything from baby food to yoghurt," Greenpeace said in the statement.

Countries that grow and produce biotech crops should be required to certify their exports biotech-free, Greenpeace said. Such certification "is reasonable, cost-effective, and necessary to protect Europe's consumers."

Chinese seed companies have been selling the illegal strain to farmers, Greenpeace said.

Last week authorities in the Dutch port of Rotterdam stopped a shipment of U.S. rice thought to be contaminated with the illegal strain. U.S. authorities have declared the U.S. rice strain safe for human consumption.