Unapproved GMO wheat found growing in Washington field

Genetically modified wheat not approved for sale or commercial production in the US has been found growing in a field in Washington state, agriculture officials said yesterday, saying this could pose a possible risk to trade with countries concerned about engineered food, Associated Press first reported.

According to The Food and Drug Administration genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, were safe and there was little scientific concern regarding the safety of those on the market.

However, according to critics, not enough was known about their risks, and they wanted GMOs labeled so people knew what was in their food.

President Barack Obama yesterday signed into law a bill that would require labelling of genetically modified ingredients for the first time.

The legislation passed by Congress two weeks ago would require most food packages to carry a text label, a symbol or an electronic code readable by smartphone that indicating  whether the food contained genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.

US wheat imports had been temporarily banned in several Asian countries after genetically modified wheat was found unexpectedly in a field on an Oregon farm in 2013. In 2014, it was found in a field at a university research centre in Montana.

Though it was not immediately clear how altered wheat had ended up in Washington, the US Agriculture Department said there was no evidence it had entered the market.

Monsanto said in a statement that the discovered wheat had been used in limited field trials in the Pacific Northwest from 1998 to 2001, though it was never commercialised, noting that its DNA matched strains found in Oregon three years ago.

According to commentators, the discovery could impact US wheat trade overseas, where many countries were concerned about the possible safety risks associated with genetically engineered food, with some imposing outright bans on it.

South Korea, yesterday, suspended customs clearance for some genetically altered wheat from the US over safety concerns, even as it announced that the distribution and sale of US wheat would also be halted, according to the Yonhap News Agency.