GMO rice from India withdrawn in EU, Indian coalition asks for action

Published 2021년 10월 19일

Tridge summary

A recent discovery of 500 tonnes of genetically modified (GM) rice in a consignment exported from India to the European Union (EU) has led to a loss of reputation for India's agricultural market, according to the Coalition for GM Free India. The contaminated rice flour was used in various food products, including chocolate sweets and baked goods, before being recalled in the EU due to illegalities identified by the European Commission Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF). The coalition has called for the establishment of an inter-ministerial, inter-agency body to oversee illegal GM imports and a ban on field trials to prevent contamination of food and seed supply chains. This incident follows a 2012 notification from the European Commission questioning unauthorised GM organisms in Indian rice exports, which India had previously denied.

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Original content

The discovery of 500 tonnes of genetically modified (GM) rice in a consignment that India exported to the European Union countries in June 2021 has led to the “loss of reputation of India and its agricultural market”, Coalition for GM Free India said October 19, 2021. The coalition, wrote a letter to AK Jain, chairperson, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC). Several batches of rice flour were marketed in several European countries, as well as in the United States, Iraq, Mauritius, Qatar, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Lebanon, Senegal and Turkey. They were recalled for use in the EU after European Commission Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) identified illegalities in food products upon a check. The 500 tonnes of broken Indian white rice imported into Europe was transformed into rice flour, resold and put on the market in many European countries as an ingredient in chocolate sweets from the Mars ...

Source: Down To Earth