Food manufacturers warned of GMO rice fraud

10-Apr-2012 - Last updated on 16-Apr-2012 at 14:28 GMT

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Food manufacturers are being warned of a possible food fraud surrounding the production of imported basmati rice which could be intentionally contaminated with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

Richard Werren, md of safety certification firm Cert ID Europe, has urged caution after a doubling of border alerts involving imported rice compared with last year.

Recent figures from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed reported 26 border rejections this year, up from 11 in 2010, with the most involving rice products, according to Cert ID.

Border rejections

The results showed that there had been a number of rejections of Basmati rice containers from India and Pakistan, where polymerase chain reaction testing proved the products contained EU unauthorised GMOs.

Werren said: “Basmati rice is a special, high value rice and assuming it is not available in GM form, one may conclude these consignments are being deliberately cut with cheap GM-rice to boost profits.

“In the case of GM, food manufacturers simply should not put any trust or credence in the paperwork accompanying any imported rice, rice derivatives or products containing rice.”

He also added that any non-GM assurances based on origin were “insecure” as a result of global supply chain methods.

Meanwhile, for news of why ethnic food firm Wanis was ordered to pay £100,000 for selling fake Pickapeppa sauce, click here.

4 comments

Perplexing

Posted by Gip, 14 April 2012 - 10:32 GMT

Just what is the fraud? Sounds like adulteration but with what? GM rice in India/Pakistan? Not likely … Other seeds? This article is really short on information.

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ban GM

Posted by Laurel, 12 April 2012 - 11:03 GMT

Yet again, we see intentional fraud and GMO contamination.

Mandatory testing is great but it adds to costs.

The consumer needs to source organic certification to be assured of safety.

The grower faces higher seed etc and also test fees.

But none of that can stop tampering.

Banning GMO would be the best way to stop it all happening.

How many decades and billions were wasted on golden rice? A small amount of that expense could have been better used to give vitamin A to kids in need and vegetables.

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At Last

Posted by DP, 11 April 2012 - 15:02 GMT

At last, someone has noted that a lot of "basmati" coming into the UK isn't actually basmati. Hence, the downward spiral on the costs for basmati rice in the UK. Even the own- brands of the multiple retailers may contain such rice or rice where the broken content is higher than allowed.

However, Trading Standards don't do anything about the problem.

It is also noteworthy that the pusa variety of rice from India has been accepted in the EU as being basmati. But is not treated as being so in India!

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