KEY POINTS:
An imported rice product has been withdrawn from sale, after it was found to have trace quantities of an unauthorised genetically modified (GM) rice variety.
New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) ensured the withdrawal after tests showed traces of (GM) rice variety, Bt63, in "rice vermicelli" from China.
NZFSA was not aware of health concerns from eating the product, it said.
"However, Bt63 is not approved for sale in food in New Zealand as it has not had a Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) safety assessment."
The importer had been contacted, had undertaken to voluntarily remove remaining product from sale, and to ensure further imports met New Zealand standards.
NZFSA began testing rice products in March, after the European Commission (EC) and the UK Food Standards Agency (UKFSA) said they were working to address the presence of the GM rice variety Bt63 in products imported from China.
Fourteen samples were taken of products such as those which had triggered the EC response.
Of those, one "imported rice vermicelli" contained trace quantities of Bt63.
GM trace indicators were found in 10 other samples at or below the level of detection and these were being investigated to clarify their source.
NZFSA was working closely with China, which prohibited the export of GM rice and tested all exports for the presence of GM product.
It was contacting importers to again advise them Bt63 had been identified and alert them to the types of products that may be affected.
- NZPA
