The discovery of genetically modified material in corn grown near Gisborne, New Zealand should not provide an argument for extending the moratorium on commercial planting of GM crops, Prime Minister Helen Clark has said.
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The moratorium is due to be lifted in October but tensions between the government and the Green Party have been heightened over the issue and news of the contamination only added to Green Party concerns, reported the New Zealand Press Association.
Clark said the GM-contaminated seeds had got into the country even with the moratorium in place. Despite New Zealand’s tough testing procedures, she said it was impossible to test every seed and the reality was that some might get through.
The recent contamination was discovered when a batch of Sunrise Coast corn was sent to a Japanese pizza maker and tested positive for GM material.
Further tests confirmed a very low level of GM contamination of products made from sweetcorn grown at four sites.
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By GlobalDataNew Zealand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry biosecurity group director Barry O’Neil said tests showed the presence of Bt11, an insect-resistant variety of sweetcorn that is commercially available.
O’Neil said the contamination was very low (less than 0.05%) and there was no evidence of danger to humans. The corn is widely grown in the US for consumption by humans and animals.
An investigation is underway as to how the crops may have become contaminated.
