Rice contained small amounts of organism illegal in U.S., Japan
The Japanese government has decided to ban imports of a particular long-grain rice from the U.S., as it found that the crop contained a genetically engineered organism (GMO) not approved for human consumption. The decision was made after U.S. agriculture secretary Mike Johanns said that small amount of the prohibited material was found in so-called LLRICE 601 long-grain rice. Japan then placed a ban on imports and sales of the rice, according to local media reports. The country prohibits the sale of any GMO-containing rice. South Korea has not imported such long-grain rice from the U.S., the nation’s local agriculture ministry said. "Some long-grain rice seen in the market here is from Thailand, not from the U.S.," a ministry official said. Referring to other rice on the South Korean market, "Calrose rice imported from the U.S. is safe, as it came with the U.S.’s guarantee documents."The GMO material found in LLRICE 601 reportedly contains bacteria-type DNA that is resistant to herbicide. Bayer CropScience developed the material in the late 1990s but it failed to receive approval from the U.S. government for human consumption.
