EU restricts rice imports from the US

Fears that US rice has been contaminated with an unauthorised GMO have led the EU to impose drastic controls on US imports of long-grain rice.
 

US exports of long-grain rice will be systematically checked at EU borders following fears that they may be contaminated with a GMO called LL Rice 601 (see EURACTIV 22 August 2006), the Commission announced on 23 August 2006. 

With immediate effect and for a six-month period, only shipments of US rice “that have been tested by an accredited laboratory using a validated detection method, and are accompanied by a certificate assuring the absence of LL Rice 601, can enter the EU”. 

Ed Loyd, spokesman for the US Agriculture Department, says the US is close to making a validated test available and described the EU reaction as “very measured and reasonable”. 

But US rice farmers say the screening procedures will increase costs and the price of rice has already fallen sharply following decisions by the US’ largest rice-export markets, Japan, the EU and South Korea, to restrict imports. 

EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou defended the emergency measures saying: “There is no flexibility for unauthorised GMOs – these cannot enter the EU food and feed chain under any circumstances.” 

Green campaigners hailed the Commission’s rapid reaction but said it must “stop reacting to contamination ‘accidents’ and start preventing them instead”. 

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