eh..not like anyone easts rice, right?

[Guest guest]

GM RICE CONTAMINATION SCANDAL

---------------------------

 

+ USDA TO RUBBER-STAMP CONTAMINATION OF FOOD WITH ILLEGAL GM RICE

The US Dept of Agriculture (USDA) has initiated fast-track market

approval of Bayer's illegal GM rice variety - LL601 - that has

contaminated long-grain rice, throwing rice markets into turmoil and

potentially causing harm to consumers and the environment. Bayer

field-tested LL601 from 1998-2001, but for unknown reasons never

applied to USDA for market approval.

 

" Illegal, potentially hazardous rice [is] in grain bins, on supermarket

shelves, in cereal, beer, baby foods, and all rice products. It should

be a no-brainer - recall this stuff to make sure no one eats it, " said

Joseph Mendelson, Legal Director of the Center for Food Safety.

" Instead, USDA plans to rush through 'market approval' of a GM rice

that Bayer itself decided was unfit for commerce. Why? To free Bayer

from liability. "

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7006

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7018

 

+ TELL USDA *NOT* TO APPROVE ILLEGAL GM RICE

Take action: http://ga3.org/campaign/LLRice

 

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) has filed a legal petition with the

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that seeks to prevent the post

hoc approval of an illegal genetically engineered rice recently found

in the world's food supply.

 

" USDA's stamp of approval to genetically engineered rice after it has

illegally contaminated the food supply would set a dangerous precedent,

rewarding the biotech industry's negligence and thereby making similar

contamination episodes more likely in the future, " said Miyoko

Sakashita, staff attorney at CFS. Links to legal petition and summary

here:

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7031

 

+ US SUPPLY CHAIN " SEVERELY DISRUPTED "

A statement by the major UK rice importer Tilda Rice says, " The US

supply chain to Europe is now severely disrupted. "

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7008

 

+ GM RICE CONTAMINATION WIDESPREAD

The European Commission has confirmed that 33 out of 162 results of

rice samples carried out by members of the European Federation of Rice

Millers tested positive for the LL601 strain.

 

" Any consignments which tested positive have already been recalled or

withheld from the market and the Federation's members have committed to

continuing such withdrawals for any positive findings, " the European

Commission said.

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7014

 

+ FOOD INDUSTRY ALARMED

The existence of unapproved GM rice in Europe has shaken the food

industry, the Financial Times has reported.

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7018

 

+ SWISS RETAILERS BLOCK SALE OF US RICE

In Switzerland, which is not a member of the European Union, the

country's largest retailer, Migros, has confirmed finding traces of the

rice. Both Migros and their rival Coop have suspended sales of

long-grain rice from the US.

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7025

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7020

 

+ TAINTED RICE IN GERMANY

Greenpeace tests revealed that the illegal rice has contaminated rice

on the shelves of the supermarket Aldi in Germany. Aldi has pulled the

rice in question from the shelves.

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7012

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7018

 

+ ...AND IN FRANCE AND SWEDEN

France and Sweden have also discovered the illegal rice in imported US

supplies. French tests revealed the banned GMO was in more than a third

of samples tested (7 out of 19).

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7019

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7031

 

+ PHILIPPINES AT RISK

The Philippines is at serious risk from illegal GM rice contamination.

" In Southeast Asia rice is the staple diet. The Philippines is among

the countries most at risk because we import rice and rice products

from both the US and China, " said Greenpeace Southeast Asia's Daniel

Ocampo.

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7020

 

+ USDA DON'T HAVE A CLUE

USDA has said it is too soon to determine how much of an unapproved GM

rice strain has entered the food supply. USDA chief spokeswoman Terri

Teuber admitted, " In terms of where it might be and where it might not

be, I don't think USDA is equipped in any way to assess or predict

where that might be. "

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7019

 

+ BAYER SEEKS EU APPROVAL FOR SIMILAR GM RICE

Bayer has applied for permission to market in the EU a Liberty

herbicide-resistant rice similar to the banned contaminant LL601 rice.

See open letter to the 25 EU Member States: Reject Bayer's application

to import GM rice into the EU:

http://www.cbgnetwork.com/300.html

 

---------------------------

LEADING SCIENTISTS CONCERNED OVER GM RICE

---------------------------

 

+ POTENTIAL ALLERGENICITY OF GM RICE SPARKS CONCERN

In a statement 3 leading international scientists have expressed their

concern about the unapproved experimental GM rice found in Europe in

products from China. The GM rice contains a toxin with significant

potential allergenicity, according to Professor Ian F.Pryme, Professor

Gilles-Eric Seralini, and Dr. Christian Velot.

 

The rice contains a gene for the Cry1Ac protein, or possibly for a

fusion Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac protein with similar immunogenic properties to

Cry1Ac3. Cry1Ac, the scientists point out, " has not been approved for

human consumption in any food crop and there is concern over its

potential allergenicity. " Research into the gene for Cry1Ac has found

that " the Cry1Ac protoxin is a potent immunogen. "

 

" Studies following the steps recommended by the FAO/WHO expert

consultation to evaluate allergenicity should be conducted by

independent scientists, and their results published in peer-reviewed

journals to allow evaluation of food safety. In addition, further

studies into the potential allergenicity of Cry1Ac and other Bt

proteins should be undertaken as a matter of the utmost urgency. "

 

For full statement and references:

http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7023

 

 

Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always

glorify the hunter