USDA Concludes GM Rice Investigation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the conclusion of the investigation on genetically modified (GM) rice. The investigation, conducted by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Investigative and Enforcement Services (APHIS), in coordination with USDA's Office of the Inspector General, was initiated on August 1, 2006, following the report that Bayer CropScience had detected trace amounts of their regulated GM rice Liberty Link Rice 601 (LLRICE601) and LLRICE604 in two commercial varieties of the long-grain rice.

Results of sampling 57 rice varieties harvested between 2002 and 2006 showed that the presence of LLRICE601 and LLRICE604 was limited to the long-grain rice varieties Cheniere and CL131, respectively. In both cases, only trace amount of GM materials were present. No short- or medium-grain rice varieties tested positive for both of the GM rice. The investigators however failed to identify how the GM materials were introduced to commercial varieties. Based upon the findings of the investigation, APHIS will not be pursuing enforcement against Bayer CropScience.

Read more at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2007/10/0284.xml