Following the move by Japan to ban long-grain rice imports from the US (see relatedarticle) and the warnings last week from the US Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, the EU has begun looking into the issue of GM rice from the US.
The USA is the third largest exporter of rice behind Thailand and Vietnam and accounts for 12 per cent of the world trade. The US is also the largest exporter of husked rice to the EU comprising some €80m ($102m) in trade over 2004, according to ACP EU statistics.
Japan was the largest importer of US rice, but the ban in that country targets long-grain rice, which accounts for 80 per cent of total US exports. The EU is the second largest importer behind Japan and may now be the largest since the ban came into effect.
EU spokesperson Antonia Mochan told FoodProductionDaily-usa.com that they were looking into the issue and that Japan's decision to ban imports would not affect the EU's process.
"We have our own system and we are going to do things our own way," said Mochan. "We are looking to assess the information, what impact this will have and what the risk assessment is."
The EU has a lengthy process for authorizing GM products in the EU. Currently the EU does not recognize any GM rice varieties.
The bioengineered variety of rice, called LLRICE601, was designed for herbicide tolerance, but has not undergone the necessary regulatory process for the USDA to determine that it can be safely produced commercially.
The EU has a lengthy process for authorizing GM products in the EU. Currently the EU does not recognize any GM rice varieties.
The bioengineered variety of rice, called LLRICE601, was designed for herbicide tolerance, but has not undergone the necessary regulatory process for the USDA to determine that it can be safely produced commercially.