Japan Ends Us Long-grain Rice Imports.

[Valentine]

TOKYO — Japan has suspended imports of U.S. long-grain rice following a positive test for trace amounts of a genetically modified strain not approved for human consumption, a news report said Sunday.

Japan's Health Ministry imposed the suspension on Saturday after being informed by U.S. federal officials that trace amounts of the unapproved strain had been discovered in commercially available long-grain rice, the Asahi newspaper said.

The genetically engineered rice was detected by Bayer CropScience AG. The German company then notified U.S. officials. The strain is not approved for sale in the United States, but two other strains of rice with the same genetically engineered protein are.

Health Ministry officials were unavailable for comment Sunday.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/b...28520.html

[Valentine]

EU to act Wednesday on tainted US biotech rice

BRUSSELS, Aug 22 (Reuters) - EU authorities plan to act this week to ensure that an unauthorised biotech rice detected in the United States does not enter the bloc's food chain, an official at the European Commission said on Tuesday.

"We are hoping to adopt tomorrow measures that will ensure that this GM (genetically modified) rice will not reach consumers," the official told Reuters, declining to elaborate.

The European Commission was notified late on Aug. 18 by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns of trace amounts of unauthorised biotech rice detected in long-grain samples that were targeted for commercial use.

On July 31, U.S. agriculture and food safety authorities were notified that testing by Bayer CropScience, a division of Bayer AG (BAYG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research), showed the genetically engineered rice -- called LLRICE 601 -- in rice bins in Arkansas and Missouri.

http://tinyurl.com/fma9r