EU says US rice should be tested for GM

All US rice imports entering the EU must be tested for the presence of illegal GM crops, the European commission has urged.

If the proposal is approved on October 23 by food safety experts from the 25 member states, US rice will have to be tested at EU entry ports at American expense.

The commission insists testing is necessary following unsuccessful negotiations with the US over a new “sampling and testing protocol” to ensure that American rice is GM-free.

The move follows the discovery over the last few months of batches of unauthorised GM strains LL601 in US-exported rice, which has led the EU to tighten import requirements for US rice.

The rice will also be tested for LL rice 62, another unauthorised GMO which was recently found by the French authorities.

The mandatory testing would come on top of GM-free certification which the EU has imposed since August.

Although the US government says LL601 poses no immediate risk to health, no biotech rice is allowed to be grown, sold or marketed on the territory of the EU's 25 countries.

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