Technical
Recommendations | Update on Importer Restrictions regarding LLRICE601 - 2007-09-21
September 21, 2007
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) sampling and testing for the presence of
LLRICE601 in single-ingredient long-grain rice imports from the United States, carried out
since October 2006, have not detected LLRICE601 at reporting levels in any samples tested.
Following negative test results, the CFIA has modified the import requirements put in
place for single-ingredient long-grain rice in October 2006 in order to reduce the
regulatory burden.
The import requirements were initiated in response to the unintentional release of
trace amounts of the unapproved line of genetically engineered rice called LLRICE601 in
the United States. This rice is tolerant to a herbicide and was developed by Bayer
CropScience.
In order to prevent the entry of LLRICE601 into Canada, the Agency posted a series of
technical recommendations on its website for industry and implemented a verification
strategy to determine industrys compliance with the Food and Drugs Act and
Regulations and the Feeds Act and Regulations. This strategy targeted
single-ingredient long-grain rice imports from the US and included a border alert to
identify imports for audits of documentation and sampling and testing for the presence of
LLRICE601 by the CFIA. The Agency has evaluated the results of the strategy and found that
LLRICE601 was not detected at the reporting level in samples of long-grain rice imported
from the US.
In addition, the CFIA was made aware that the USA Rice Federation had published an
action plan which included recommendations that Cheniere rice (carrier variety for
LLRICE601) not be planted in 2007 and that all certified rice seed be tested prior to
planting in 2007. Although LLRICE601 is no longer a regulated product in the US, Bayer
CropScience and USDA fully support this action plan.
Presently, the CFIA has suspended the monitoring program and discontinued the border
alert. However, the Agency continues to encourage certification and independent testing of
long-grain rice shipments from the US as recommended in the original Technical Recommendations to Importers
posted on the CFIA website at
www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/bio/ricriz/recomme.shtml. Importers are encouraged to
follow this strategy until the end of the 2007 rice harvest in the US, at which point the CFIA
will reassess the situation.
The CFIA will continue to work closely with colleagues at the USDA to monitor the
implementation of the action plan published by the USA Rice Federation.
Update on Importer Restrictions regarding LLRICE604
In March of 2007, an unapproved line of genetically engineered rice (LLRICE604) which
is similar to LLRICE601, was reported in the long-grain rice supply in the US. LLRICE604,
developed by Bayer CropScience for herbicide tolerance, was found in Clearfield CL131, a
rice variety developed by BASF.
The USDA, working with the USA Rice Federation, notified distributers that Clearfield
CL131 (carrier variety for LLRICE604) is not to be planted in 2007 and ordered
devitalization or disposal of Clearfield CL131 seed. Additionally, it was recommended that
all certified rice seed be tested prior to planting in 2007.
As a result of these actions, the CFIA will not be continuing the monitoring program.
However, the Agency is recommending that importers follow the technical recommendations
posted for LLRICE601 to avoid the inadvertent entry of LLRICE604 into Canada. The Technical Recommendations for Importers
can be found on the CFIA website at
www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/bio/ricriz/recomme.shtml.
The CFIA will continue to work closely with colleagues at the USDA to monitor the
implementation of the outlined actions. The Agency will reassess the situation at the end
of the 2007 rice harvest season in the US.
