NEWS: Unlicensed GM Rice May Be In UK Food Chain, page 1

posted on Apr, 14 2005 @ 09:32 PM

link

An illegal strain of GM rice grown in China that is not approved for human consumption may have been imported to the UK and entered the food chain, according to Greenpeace. The group called for a product recall on the strain known as Bt. The UK buys hundreds of tons of rice from China every year.

society.guardian.co.uk
Unlicensed GM rice sold illegally on the internet to Chinese farmers has been sold for human consumption and may have been imported undetected into the UK, even though it could cause allergic reactions.

The Chinese authorities are investigating after 11 samples of rice in Hubei province were found to contain BT rice, a transgenic strain that has not been approved for commercial growing and should not be in human food.

The UK is one of a number of EU countries that imports rice from China. Although the amount of GM rice involved is thought to be only a small percentage of the total grown - about 1,200 tonnes - no one knows precisely, or where it went. Since no GM rice is grown legally anywhere in the world, importers would not have checked if any had entered British food supplies.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

I agree it is wrong to sell food that is not approved for human consumption. I am also not a fan of any genetically modified foods period, but that is neither here nor there.

What I doubt is Greenpeace motives for calling attention to it. Personally, I think they are more interested in the effects it will have on butterflies and other bugs then it entering the food chain.

Related News Links:
news.bbc.co.uk

[edit on 4/14/2005 by shots]

[edit on 4/14/2005 by shots]

[edit on 4/14/2005 by shots]

djohnsto77

posted on Apr, 14 2005 @ 09:58 PM

link

I'm not sure whom to believe...Greenpeace certainly has their own agenda to push and I'm sure communist China certainly isn't above selling rice not approved for human consumption. I hope there will be serious investigation into the allegations and the truth is ferreted out.

GradyPhilpott

posted on Apr, 17 2005 @ 06:07 PM

link

Gee, I didn't even know that General Motors even made rice or that you had to have a license to eat it. Oh, wait!. GM means genetically modified. I'm glad I got that cleared up.

I think it would behoove China to get a handle on the rice situation, as China exports some 2.5 million tons of rice per year., placing it in the top five rice exporters and a rice scare could affect not only China, but other exporters, as well.

shots

posted on Apr, 17 2005 @ 07:01 PM

link

Grady I think it is a regional term, in Europe, genetically engineered foods are more commonly referred to as genetically modified foods, genetically altered foods or GMOs (short for genetically modified organisms). But scientists generally agree that "genetically engineered" more accurately represents the process than "genetically modified."

Edit just for clarity I am talking about the media not the scientists. Obviously the media do not know the proper term to use would be my guess/

[edit on 4/17/2005 by shots]