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Heinz baby cereal may contain GM rice
by chinadaily.com.cn
Updated: 2006-03-15 17:27 An official with the Ministry
of Agriculture said late Tuesday it was investigating a claim that baby cereal
made by H.J. Heinz Co. China improperly contained genetically modified
rice.
Greenpeace, an international environmental group, said Monday that
laboratory tests found genetically modified rice in Heinz Baby Rice Cereal
bought in Beijing.
The Agriculture Ministry said it was looking into the
claim and will take legal actions if any problems are found.
The Chinese
government has attached great importance to supervision of the safety of GE
(genetic engineering) biology, said the official.
The official said the
ministry would have to approve any such products and that currently it hasn't
approved any genetically modified rice for human consumption.
Moreover,
any inspection of transgenic products will be made by professional organizations
authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture, the official
added.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh-based Heinz denied that its baby food
products contained any genetically modified organisms, or GMO.
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