USDA Finds Contaminants in Commercial Rice Supply

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have found that trace amounts of genetically engineered rice made their way into two commercial varieties of long-grain rice, according to a USDA press release.

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) investigative division had hoped to identify how the GE rice entered the commercial rice supply, but weren't able to do so. Both the GE and commercial varieties had been grown at the Rice Research Station in Crowley, Louisiana, but some were planted at different times and there didn't appear to be any evidence of cross-pollination, officials determined.

APHIS investigators also determined the agency did not need to pursue any further enforcement action against Bayer CropScience, which developed and field-tested the GE rice line. However, the USDA said it does plan to make some changes to better protect against any GE contamination in the future.

"USDA conducted an extensive investigation that involved more than 8,500 staff hours and site visits to more than 45 locations in 11 states and Puerto Rico," said Bruce Knight, the USDA's Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. "Based on our findings, we are considering a number of actions to strengthen our enforcement and investigation capabilities and to foster better quality management practices."

The USDA investigation focused on two varieties of GE rice developed by Bayer CropScience: LLRICE601 and LLRICE604, both of which include an added protein called PAT and were designed for herbicide tolerance. They found that LLRICE601 made its way in trace amounts into the commercial supply of Cheniere rice, a long-grain variety, while trace amounts of LLRICE604 entered the supply of Clearfield 131, another commercial variety of long-grain rice.

GE crops are plants bred with genetic material from other plants or animals in an effort to create new crops with special properties such as pesticide tolerance, drought tolerance or higher yields.

Investigators reached their conclusions after testing 396 samples from 57 different varieties of rice harvested between 2002 and 2006.

Upon releasing its report, APHIS also said it might create new record-retention requirements for GE crops. It is also considering setting greater distance requirements between fields of GE and commercial crops to reduce the possibility of pollen cross-contamination.

APHIS also launched a new program this September aimed at preventing potential problems with GE crops. The voluntary Biotechnology Quality Management System encourages large companies, universities and small businesses to establish policies and quality control practices that are proactive, rather than reactive.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, "USDA Concludes Genetically Engineered Rice Investigation." URL: (http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB/.cmd/ad/.ar/sa.retrievecontent/.c/6_2_1UH/.ce/7_2_5JM/.p/5_2_4TQ/.d/1/_th/J_2_9D/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?PC_7_2_5JM_contentid=2007%2F10%2F0284.xml&PC_7_2_5JM_parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&PC_7_2_5JM_navid=NEWS_RELEASE#7_2_5JM)