Thanks to B. Blanc...

------- Le message transféré suit -------

****

US GM rice found in EU despite ban

13.09.2006 - 09:53 CET | By Helena Spongenberg
http://euobserver.com/9/22397

Genetically modified rice from the United States has entered the EU
despite the fact that import, growth and sale of genetically modified
rice
is banned in the bloc.

The European Commission confirmed on Wednesday (12 September) that
safety
checks on rice imported from the US found that in 33 out of 162 cases,
the
rice was contaminated with a certain type of genetically modified rice.

The commission urged EU governments to intensify the testing of
products
on the market as soon as possible and to provide an extensive report
back
on the results.

Environmental group Greenpeace said on Monday (11 September) that the
so-called Liberty Link Rice 601, a genetically modified type, which has
not been approved for human consumption, has been found on supermarket
shelves in Europe.

It said that tests had confirmed the 601 strain had been sold in Aldi
Nord
stores in Germany. French and Swedish authorities have also indicated
that
biotech rice could be on their markets, according to German newspaper
Die
Welt.

Shipments that were tested positive in the safety checks have been
withheld from the market, EU officials said.

The Netherlands told a meeting of national health experts in Brussels
on
Monday of a shipment of 20,000 tonnes of US rice, which was detained in
Rotterdam on the suspicion of LL601 contamination.

Of the suspected barges which have been tested in Rotterdam so far, 3
have
shown up positive for the presence of genetically modified rice in
their
loads, while 20 others tested negative.

The commission has also asked China for more information about its rice
exports after two environmental groups - Greenpeace and Friends of the
Earth - last week said they had found evidence of a strain of GM rice
in
products imported from China in Germany, France and the UK.

Greenpeace said it was an experimental type aimed at protecting the
rice
from pests but which might cause allergic reactions in people.

The EU in August implemented emergency controls to detect contaminated
shipments.



© 2006 EUobserver, All rights reserved

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Le Forel OGM n'est pas modéré et les messages échangés n'engagent
aucunement la responsabilité de l'association Inf'OGM.
Pour en savoir plus sur les OGM et sur nos publications, consultez
notre site : http://www.infogm.org.
Désinscription: envoyez un message à: forel-ogm-unsubscribe@...
Pour obtenir de l'aide, écrivez à: forel-ogm-help@...


------- Fin du message transféré ----------
Michel Dussandier - - - http://midier.net

Les électeurs, c'est tous les cinq ans.
Les lobbyistes, c'est tous les jours au restaurant.