USA: Better monitoring needed of GM plants undergoing testing

(17 December 2008) US agencies responsible for genetically modified plants need to work together better and carry out more inspections. That would help prevent unauthorised GM plants getting into food and feed chains in future. Six such cases have been reported in the USA since 2000.

One of the latest reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the congressional watchdog, points out that the three US agencies accountable for the control of GM plants do not work adequately together. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are all responsible for making sure that a newly developed GM plant presents no risk to the environment or to the health of humans or animals. The agencies were lacking the necessary means to control research facilities and trial fields so that no undesired admixture of any GM plant not yet commercially approved gets into seeds, food or feed. Most of such cases known about in the past few years were not discovered through monitoring, but were reported by the companies themselves.

The economic consequences of such undesired admixtures are serious: products need to be recalled or are no longer marketable. Markets collapse and public confidence is adversely affected. In autumn 2006, it was discovered that unauthorised GM rice LL601 ended up in conventional rice seed. Numerous rice products containing traces of LL601 rice were taken from the market. Throughout Europe and Asia, many grocers refused any rice from the USA. For some time the EU allowed imports, but only if LL601 admixtures could be certifiably ruled out.

The GAO report contained many recommendations for the prevention or timely discovery of such unauthorised admixtures of GM plants in the food and feed chains: they ranged from stepped-up food inspections to a more effective collaboration of the agencies.
 

See also on GMO-Compass:

• USA: Official investigation of LL601 rice complete (October 15, 2007)
• Overview GM Rice

Further information:

• GAO report