September 21, 2009
Spain rejects more US soy with GM corn traces
Authorities in Spain detected traces of unauthorised forms of genetically modified (GM) corn in US soy shipments on August 25 and blocked the imports, a European Commission spokeswoman said on Friday (September 18).
Traces of corn variety MON88017 manufactured by Monsanto and yet to be approved in the EU was found in different shiploads of soy from the same company and the shipments were sent back to the US.
The MON88017 variety is manufactured by Monsanto, an official at the biotech company in Spain said.
Officials from the Spanish Agriculture Ministry were not able to give any details on Friday.
European Union buyers moved to stop imports of US soy after shipments to Spain and Germany were found to contain traces of GM corn, a spokesman for the EU in Washington had said on August 6.
The EU has approved a series of GM products, mainly corn and some soy types, but it does not permit the presence of non-approved types, even in tiny amounts, until it has assessed the safety of that product for health and the environment.
They have said the risk of shipments being rejected because of the EU's zero tolerance rule on unauthorised GMOs is too high for many operators to even attempt to import from the United States.
Europe's agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel urged the 27-member bloc on Monday to draw up rules by end-2009 to allow resumption of vital soy imports from the US, one of its main suppliers.
