Illegal genetically engineered rice in Canada ?

Greenpeace demands that the Canadian government immediately suspend the approval of all genetically engineered rice. American authorities recently confirmed that the genetically modified rice LLRice601, produced by Bayer CropScience, was found in the food chain, despite not being approved for consumption or cultivation in Canada or the U.S. LLRice601 is currently being tested in experimental fields in the United States which may be the source of the contamination.

"Canada imports 232,000 tonnes of rice from the U.S. annually. It is quite probable therefore that LLRice601 (which is illegal) is present in the food chain in Canada," says Eric Darier, Greenpeace GMO campaigner.

"It is scandalous, no less than 10 days after the Canadian government has authorized the LIRice62 for sale, we hear from the same company Bayer CropScience, that the food chain in the United States has been contaminated by the illegal rice strain LLRice601," reminds Eric Darier.

"We must ask ourselves some serious questions. Either the government authorities are totally incompetent and are not able to prevent genetic contamination by unapproved GE, and by consequence should not be authorizing their dissemination into the environment at all, or the contamination is a deliberate "accident" that allows companies like Bayer CropScience to obtain government approvals after the fact."

"The Canadian government must immediately put in place emergency measures to prevent the spread of LLRice601 into the Canadian food chain and follow the example of Japan which has just suspended all U.S. rice imports. The Canadian government must especially review its policy towards GE crops, since Canadian consumers have made it clear that they don't want them. If there were mandatory GE labelling on consumer food products, as there are in forty other countries, it would at least be easier for the authorities to trace back and prevent illegal GE contamination," concludes Eric Darier.