The New Zealand Food Safety Authority has said that a rice product that tested positive for a genetically modified rice variety – Bt63 – not authorised for sale in the country has been withdrawn.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Following the discovery of unauthorised GM rice in Chinese rice imports by the European Commission and the UK Food Standards Agency earlier this year, NZFSA began testing a range of products available in New Zealand.
The food safety watchdog took 14 samples of the types of products that triggered the European Commission’s crackdown on Chinese rice imports. Of these samples one product – imported rice vermicelli – contained trace quantities of Bt63.
The NZFSA said that it does not believe the GM rice is a threat to health, but confirmed that appropriate steps have been taken to remove the product from the market.
“NZFSA is looking at ways that compliance can best be demonstrated by importers and is also exploring a range of additional options for ensuring that New Zealand requirements are met in future,” the agency said in a statement.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData
