May 15, 2007

Dutch authorities to check more US shipments of GM corn

Authorities from the Netherlands will conduct more inspections on shipments coming from the US following the entry of EU's banned genetically modified corn products in the country.

The tight inspection is also aimed to prevent more GM raw materials into slipping the European supply chain undetected.

The Dutch Food Safety Authority (VWA) said it will recall a cargo containing the GM corn and will inspect four mire shipments. Authorities have already traced the origin of the corn, Herculex RW 59122, to producers Pioneer and plan to destroy the crop.

Monsanto's MON863 was also found in the shipment. The crop--currently under review by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)--was intended for animal feed, but environmental group Greenpeace also found corn flour containing 1.9 percent GM crops - above the legal limit of 0.9 percent - on board the ship.

In October, EU countries have stepped-up in inspecting US long-grain rice shipments after two banned GM strains were accidentally imported. In 2005 the VWA carried out 1,582 tests and inspections on ships for GM contamination. Last year it carried out just 175, according to Greenpeace.