November 19, 2009

The Canadian flaxseed industry is concerned that discovery of genetically modified organisms in a shipment of Canadian flaxseed to Japan could mean more countries may start halting imports of the commodity.

 

The transgenic material in the Canadian flaxseed is the same material that was found in shipments to the European Union. Because of the discovery, the EU has since suspended all Canadian imports of flaxseed.

 

The discovery of the contaminated Canadian flaxseed was reported by Japanese news services on Monday.

 

The shipment of Canadian flaxseed to Japan consisted of roughly 11,713 tonnes with the bulk of the product to be turned into oil for industrial uses such as the production of paint. The remainder of the flaxseed, however, was to be used to produce feed and possibly some food for human consumption.

 

The transgenic material cannot exceed 1 percent, or else it is unfit to be used for animal feed based on Japanese regulations.

 

All Canadian flaxseed shipments to Japan must now undergo inspection for genetically modified contamination, according to Japanese government officials.

 

"The amount of Canadian flaxseed imported by Japan on a crop-year basis is minuscule in the big picture, but what is concerning is that as more countries hear about Canada's inability to track down this GM material in its flaxseed shipments, the more it will be subject to inspection and potential suspension," Mike Jubinville, an analyst with ProFarmer Canada said.

 

He said Canadian flaxseed shipments to Japan on a crop-year basis are only in the 10,000-to-20,000 tonne range. However, if a country like China becoming concerned, that will impact shipments of Canadian flaxseed in the 150,000-to-175,000- tonne range.

 

"With Canada's flaxseed shipments to Europe already suspended, the country can ill afford to have shipments to other destinations stopped," Jubinville said.

 

Europe represents about 70 percent of Canada's flax exports. On average between 500,000 to 700,000 tonnes of Canadian flaxseed, or roughly two-thirds of Canada's production, is shipped to European destinations on a crop-year basis.

 

Barry Hall, President of the Flax Council of Canada said he would not comment on the latest developments from Japan.

 

Hall acknowledged that it has been difficult to track back the flaxseed with the transgenic qualities back to the farmgate in western Canada.

 

"The Canadian Grain Commission has been working with numerous flaxseed samples from varying outlets from western Canada, but has not been able to identify where the GM flaxseed is originating from," Hall said.

 

There are currently no varieties of GM flaxseed registered in Canada. A GM flaxseed variety commonly known as CDC Triffid received regulatory feed and environmental safety authorizations in 1996, and food safety authorizations in 1998, but was never released for commercial production.