Washington, Nov. 24 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday formally approved a strain of genetically engineered rice whose discovery in commercial stocks earlier this year triggered a food market dispute with the European Union and Japan.
"The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced that after a thorough review of scientific evidence it will deregulate genetically engineered LLRICE601 based on the fact that it is as safe as its traditionally bred counterparts," USDA said in a statement.
Rachel Iadiciccio, a USDA spokesman, said the LLRICE601 rice had been found to be safe for the environment and could now be grown without USDA oversight.
In August, the Food and Drug Administration and USDA announced that testing by Bayer CropScience, a division of Bayer AG, had discovered the genetically modified rice in bins in Arkansas and Missouri.
USDA said then there were no environmental or health concerns with the genetically modified rice and it did not plan to recall or destroy the contaminated commercial product.
The genetically engineered rice has a protein known as LibertyLink, which allows the crop to withstand applications of an herbicide used to kill weeds.
Some of that rice made its way to Europe, where consumers are more suspicious of biotech foods than in the United States. The discovery of the engineered product prompted the European Union and Japan to tighten import rules for U.S. rice.
In order for a product to be sold commercially, the genetically modified crop is supposed to be tested extensively by the manufacturer before USDA reviews its application.
In a statement on its Web site, Bayer CropScience said it does not intend to commercialize the rice.
Iadiciccio stressed that USDA is still investigating the company's release of the LLRICE601 into the commercial supply stream and said the finding on Friday would not preclude prosecution of violations of USDA rules if any took place.
USDA had already deregulated two other strains of LibertyLink rice in 1999. The department also collected public comments on LLRICE601 until October 10.
The United States is expected to produce a rice crop valued at close to $2 billion in 2006, about half of which is expected to be exported. U.S. rice growers are responsible for about 12 percent of world rice trade.