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

US shipments coming into the Netherlands will experience more import checks,
following the discovery of genetically modified (GM) maize banned in the EU.
The increased number of checks will prevent that more GM raw materials are
slipping into the European supply chain undetected, but they could also lead
to delays.
The Dutch Food Safety Authority (VWA) announced that it was recalling part
of a cargo containing the corn and intended to increase inspections to one
in four shipments from one in ten. Dutch authorities traced the origin of
the corn, Herculex RW 59122, back to producers Pioneer/Dow and now plan to
destroy the crop.

Intended for animal feed

Monsanto's MON863, currently under review by the European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA), was also found to be a contaminant in the shipment. The
crop was intended for animal feed, but Greenpeace also found maize flour
containing 1.9% GM crops - above the legal limit of 0.9% - on board the
ship. Described as GM-free on official documents, the maize was identified
in samples taken from a ship by environmental group Greenpeace, with the
permission of the captain, in April.

In October, EU countries stepped-up testing of US long-grain rice shipments
after two banned GM strains were accidentally imported. In 2005 the VWA
carried out 1,582 tests and inspections on ships for GM contamination. Last
year it carried out just 175, Greenpeace claimed.

[www.allaboutfeed.net]