| The following articles explain the problems associated with a recent contamination scare in Australia. Despite the moratoriums, a consignment of ABB canola was found to be contaminated with very low levels (0.01%) of GM canola (a variety owned by Bayer Cropscience). The resultant market concern indicated the problem associated with any threat to Australia's GM-free status.
Effects of GM canola scare linger: ABB Grain
By Deanna Lush
Thursday, 18 August 2005
ABB Grain chair, Perry Gunner, says there has been commercial implications as a result of discovery of GM traces in a canola shipment to Japan.
Speaking at the 2005 SA Agribusiness Showdown conference, Mr. Gunner said ABB's customer had on-sold the canola to another client as GM free.
But both customers were disillusioned because ABB had known about the contamination for two months, but could not pass on information because of processes in Australia, Mr Gunner said.
And now they would be wondering how to deal with the fact Australia may not be free of GM canola.
He said it was not a case of them preferring to buy Australian canola with its lower oil content, but rather it was on-sold because of its GM-free status.
"They don't know what to do and we don't know what to tell them about future shipments," he said.
SOURCE: Extract from report in the Stock Journal, SA, August 18 issue.
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24 July 2005 |
Mountains of enquiries over GM contamination |
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- "I mean that is what this is all about at the end of the day is that whatever part in the supply chain you fulfil, it's about giving them what they want, otherwise none of us have a market."
GM canola creates foreign customer concerns
ABC Queensland, Monday, 18 July 2005
http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200507/1416503.htm?queensland
Australian canola crushers are fielding a large number of inquiries from concerned overseas customers since the identification of genetically modified (GM) canola in an export shipment.
Grain exporter ABB Grain Limited detected low levels of GM seed in a small consignment of canola sourced from Victoria.
Pete Macsmith from Macsmith Milling in New South Wales says the Japanese in particular have been sending a lot of emails.
"A mountain of it would maybe be the best way to describe it," he said.
"I don't think panic is the right word...as I say they are just looking for some confirmation as to how this occurred, is it going to occur in the future, they just want to know the state of play.
"I mean that is what this is all about at the end of the day is that whatever part in the supply chain you fulfil, it's about giving them what they want, otherwise none of us have a market." |
Further details of contamination scares in Australia:
Farmers slam Bayer Cropscience for contamination + Bayers press release 2274
Australian GE contamination found in Japan 2276
GM contaminated crops found 2277
Trial owners must be liable says farmers 2278
Clean it up demand Organics 2279
Genethics demand recall 2280
Canola GM find alarms industry 2281
MP concerned over GM trials 2286
Mountains of enquiries over GM contamination 2295
Contamination cause investigated 2294
Contaminated canola sold as stockfeed 2310
GM contamination found in WA - farmers insist on recall 2323
More GM contamination found in crops - Minister calls for strict liability 2328
GM contamination 2326
Who foots the bill? 2344
Effects of GM canola scare linger 2345
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