Curious that the Japanese should be turning up more rogue corn with their testing than the US which is doing the testing for the EU: "Only 5 Japanese locations have received their test results so far, and in two of those Bt10 has been detected."
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SECOND BT10 CONTAMINATION INCIDENT IN JAPAN
Two out of five tests so far reported positive
Press Notice from GM Free Cymru
7th June 2005 -- immediate release
MAFF is considering the imposition of controls on all imported fodder maize and maize-based feed shipments from USA, and has demanded that the US government must impose stricter measures in order to prevent further contaminated shipments from leaving US ports. If and when maize contaminated with Bt10 is detected, it will be disposed of, in order to prevent any distribution in Japan.
The US Embassy in Japan informed the Japanese government in March about the cultivation of unapproved Syngenta GM maize known as Bt10 (1). Thereafter MAFF started to check for Bt10 contamination in 25 targeted locations as from May (2). According to MAFF, the feed control team visited Tomakomai port on May 30, checked 822 tons of imported feed and detected Bt10. Only 5 Japanese locations have received their test results so far, and in two of those Bt10 has been detected.
When Bt10 contamination is detected, the importer has to cover the cost of disposal under
the Japanese Feed Safety Law, in order to prevent any distribution in Japan. However, MAFF commented that "presumably we will not find large amounts of contaminated maize. We have stocks of maize and barley for 2 months, so it will not have an adverse impact on feed distribution".
MAFF demanded in late March that the US administration should take stricter measures in order to not to contaminate feed exports to Japan with Bt10. But the US government has not yet (as of June 3) confirmed that any action will be taken, according to the MAFF Animal Health and Animal Products Safety Division. The Ministry will continue to pressurize the US government on this.
Japan imports 11.6 million tonnes of fodder maize per annum, with 93 % coming from US. Japan's fodder maize self-sufficiency is nearly zero, so a large-scale contamination incident could have a great impact on Japanese
farmers.
Between 2001 and 2004, Bt10 was "accidentally" cultivated on about 37,000 acres in US, leading to a massive contamination of global fodder maize and maize product supplies (3). It is quite possible that Bt10 sweetcorn has also contaminated the human food chain.
Commenting on this latest development fort GM Free Cymru, Dr Brian John said: "This is the third positive test report in less than two weeks, coming right at the end of this contamination incident. Over the past four years, it is quite certain that many thousands of tonnes of maize products contaminated with the illegal Bt10 line have found their way into human and animal feed products in the US, South Korea and Japan, and in Europe. This material could be in canned and frozen sweetcorn and in a vast range of food products on supermarket shelves. Syngenta and the US government have been involved in a substantial damage limitation exercise, as we might expect, but we are amazed that importing countries have not taken much firmer action against the US exporters by demanding rock-solid guarantees, supported by documentary evidence, that all raw and processed products containing maize and leaving the US are 100% free of BT10 contamination. This variety is, after all, illegal and probably dangerous, and no trace of it should be tolerated."
(ENDS)
Contact:
Dr Brian John
GM Free Cymru
Tel 01239-820470
Source: The Japan Agricultural News (2005 June 4)
- Unofficial translation with additional information from GM Free Cymru-
NOTES:
(1) Syngenta stated in it original press release that "several hundred tonnes" of Bt10 maize had gone into the global food market. GM Free Cymru then calculated that the real figure was closer to 185,000 tonnes, and when a further estimate of 133,000 tonnes was published in "New Scientist" magazine, the company had to admit the truth, and acknowledged a distribution of 150,000 tonnes of contaminated grain.
(2) Japan and South Korea, which are the biggest importers of maize from the US, have both taken steps to shut off contaminated supplies at the ports.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/03/23/business/bio.html
Japan tests for modified corn from U.S.
Reuters. Thursday, March 24, 2005
"An official from the Japanese Health Ministry said inspection offices at Japanese ports would start testing samples of corn cargoes from the United States after the ministry obtained the necessary data from Syngenta to detect Bt10 ........... If the inspections discover contaminated cargoes, the ministry will order importers to destroy them or ship them back to the United States. Bt10 is not approved either for human consumption or animal feed in Japan, although Bt11 is approved for both purposes."
(3) The first European Bt10 contamination incident was reported at Greenore Port in Ireland on 25 May, where 2546 tonnes of contaminated maize gluten feed was unloaded from the ship Helena Oldendorff. In this case the cargo was tested in the US and was reported positive prior to unloading in Ireland.
http://www.gmfreeireland.org
Further information:
Japanese MAFF: http://www.maff.go.jp/eindex.html
Recombinant DNA Techniques - its potential and safety -
http://www.s.affrc.go.jp/docs/anzenka/colum8_e.pdf
(GMO related laws in Japan including the Feed Safety Law)
Animal Health and Animal Products Safety Division of Japanese MAFF
Tel: +81-3-3502-8206 Fax: +81-3-3502-3385
US Embassy in Japan: http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/