www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Friday it verified a second rapid
strip kit that can detect the unapproved genetically engineered Liberty Link
rice protein in 15 minutes, September 2006.

The Food and Drug Administration and USDA notified the public on August 18
that testing by Bayer CropScience, a division of Bayer AG, found the
genetically modified rice known as LLRICE 601 in commercial rice bins in
Arkansas and Missouri.

The finding led Japan to shut down imports of U.S. long grain rice and the
European Union to require certification that long grain rice from the United
States is free of the unapproved crop.

USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration said the kit
can detect the presence of Liberty Link "at a detection limit of 1.33
percent sensitivity level."

This test was validated at the request of EnviroLogix, Inc.

Earlier this month, USDA verified a rapid strip kit for Strategic
Diagnostics Inc. that takes 10 minutes to complete.

The genetically engineered rice has a protein known as Liberty Link, which
allows the crop to withstand applications of an herbicide used to kill
weeds.

There are two other Bayer CropScience genetically modified rice lines with
Liberty Link that have been confirmed safe for use in food and the
environment, but they have not been commercialized.

www.checkbiotech.org

------------------------------------------
Posted to Phorum via PhorumMail