Tokyo, Aug 1 - Japan has found three incidents of processed rice product imports from China so far this year that contained a variety of genetically modified rice not authorised here, a health ministry official said on Friday.
The strain of rice concerned, Bt-63, is a variety that has been modified to resist particular insect pests, but it has not been approved in many parts of the world, and China itself prohibits the export of GM rice.
In July 2007, Japan stepped up its testing of rice products imported from China to cover all such imports and check for the unauthorised Bt-63.
"There has been a problem with Bt-63 in the rest of the world as well. We'll keep this order intact for the time being," said Tomohide Fukiwake, an official at the food safety department of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
When tests on cargoes prove positive, the imported food is either burned or returned to the country of origin.
New Zealand's Food Safety Authority recently ordered that a certain Chinese rice product not be sold after it was found to contain traces of Bt-63.
Earlier this year, the European Union ordered tests on Chinese rice to be carried out on arrival in any EU country after reports of Bt-63 in several EU countries in 2006 and 2007.
In Japan in May, tests on a cargo of rice noodles made by Guangdong Dongguan Jinying Rice Stick Factory of China turned out positive. The other two violations, both reported in April, involved sticky rice flower products from two other Chinese manufacturers, the ministry said in statements.
At present, no biotech rice may be grown or sold in Japan, where rice is the staple food. But a few GM varieties have been allowed for field trials since 2004