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Press Statement More information about the Friends of the Earth Europe's Biotechnology and GMOs campaign
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Brussels, 24th October - Friends of the Earth Europe has welcomed the decision to test all rice imports from the United States for genetically modified material before allowing them to enter the EU. EU member states voted for the tougher controls in a meeting of national food experts yesterday. [1] Reacting to the decision, Adrian Bebb, GM Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe said, "Mandatory testing of all rice imports from the United States for illegal genetically modified material is absolutely vital since there have now been around eighty cases of contamination across Europe in the past six weeks." [2] But the environmental campaign group has warned that contamination is likely not only in American rice imports, but in imports from all countries that conduct outdoor experimental GM trials. Indeed, rice products imported from China have already been found to be contaminated with an illegal genetically modified variant. [3] Friends of the Earth Europe has demanded that the new strict protocols are extended to all crops imported from countries that test genetically modified crops outdoors. Adrian Bebb, GM Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe: Notes: [2] Friends of the Earth Europe has published information online about all the reported rice contamination cases over the last two months: [3] Friends of the Earth Europe press release from 5th September 2006 following the discovery of GM contamination of Chinese foods: |