You Are Here:
"Our worst fears have been confirmed: we are eating genetically engineered rice without even knowing it," said Gustavo Ampugnani, genetic engineering campaigner with Greenpeace Mexico. "And even worse is that this contamination is coming from experimental fields and has come here illegally, since at least last August." "We know testing is happening and segregation is possible – Europeans are demanding and receiving uncontaminated rice. U.S. rice exporters are taking advantage of Mexican government apathy and disposing of their adulterated rice south of the border," he continued.
Last year, huge volumes of U.S. rice were found to be contaminated with LLRICE601 and export destinations from Europe to Japan put in place measures to prevent these contaminated imports. The USDA retroactively approved the variety for cultivation in the United States (no food approval is required in the U.S.), but the experimental variety is still not approved for consumption in any U.S. rice export market, including Mexico. The USA Rice Federation adopted an emergency plan to keep the contamination from next year’s harvest, but the bulk of the 2006 harvest is still to be sold.
"These test results and the latest USDA declarations prove that contamination isn’t only possible, but is reaching epidemic proportions in the U.S.," added Dr. Doreen Stabinsky, Greenpeace scientist based in the U.S. "The U.S. regulatory system is clearly incapable of protecting consumers here and abroad from untested and unapproved genetically engineered varieties. The only sure way for governments around the world to protect their citizens seems to be to stop purchasing U.S. agricultural products."
Greenpeace is putting pressure on officials in Mexico to take action to prevent the contaminated rice from being imported from the U.S., especially in light of the upcoming meeting between Presidents Felipe Calderon and George W. Bush. More detailed information about the results is available.
steve.smith@wdc.greenpeace.org