Incident details
| Region/Continent and country: |
| Europe / UK |
| Category of incident: |
Contamination
|
| What was contaminated: |
| Food |
| GM organism involved: |
| Rice |
| Year incident occurred: |
| 2006 |
|
| Route of contamination |
| Import of contaminated products |
|
|
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UK – Rice contamination in products imported from China
An investigation by Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth has found contamination of rice food products imported from China. Rice products in the UK, France and Germany bought from Chinese specialty stores were found to contain the a Cry1Ac toxin gene from Bacillus thuringiensis introduced into the rice to make it resistant to certain insect pests. The GM rice has been grown experimentally in China but has not been given approval for commercial growing or food use. The GM rice has caused other contamination incidents, including of Heinz baby food purchased in China.
Rice sticks were found to be contaminated in all three countries and two brands of rice vermicelli were contaminated in the UK.
For full details of the contamination of food products with illegal Bt63 rice from China click here
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Further information
Background Briefing: Illegal Genetically Engineered Rice from China in European Rice Products.
Greenpeace Briefing, September 5, 2006 >
Illegal genetically engineered Chinese rice discovered in Europe.
Greenpeace Press Release, September 5, 2006 >
European Commission, Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed. Week 2006/39. >
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