Posted on 7-8-2003

GE Sweet Corn Investigation Completed

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry today announced that it had
completed its investigations into a sweet corn crop grown at Gisborne
earlier this year which was reported to contain some GM material unapproved
for growing in New Zealand.

The investigations were prompted by a New Zealand company alerting MAF of
test results conducted in Japan by a food service company that had
conducted routine testing of a proprietary topping mix. This mix contained
sweet corn sourced from New Zealand. Testing completed at the AgriQuality
GMO Services facility at Melbourne identified the presence of a GM variety
called Bt11 in product samples but at very low levels ­ less than 0.1% or
less than one seed in 1,000. Corn product from three of the four fields
investigated returned positive tests for Bt11. Bt11 is a type of GM maize
and sweet corn that has been modified to be insect resistant and herbicide
tolerant. Food Standards Australia New Zealand has assessed this variety of
corn as safe for human consumption, although it is not currently grown or
sold in New Zealand.

MAF’s investigations as to the likely source of the GM material involved
analysis of seed lines planted in the four Gisborne fields in question;
examination of all sweet corn and maize crops grown within 300m of these
fields; and a review of the harvesting and processing systems used by the
company. MAF’s analysis of products taken from surrounding sweet corn crops
that flowered at the same time as the crops in question has also produced
negative test results for the presence of GM. Similarly the review of the
company satisfied MAF’s review team that it was highly unlikely that the
presence of the GM variety resulted from mixing during harvest or
processing of this crop. Testing by MAF and the seed producer on the seed
line grown on all the four fields was negative but the only known link
between the fields is the seed sown and therefore the possibility remains
that the imported seed was the source of the GM material.

A second variety of sweet corn was planted on one of the four fields in
question. Because of this, MAF secured seed from the same line from the
company and arranged for this to be tested. A positive test was obtained
from this seed, but the concentration is so small (less than 0.05% or less
than five seeds in 10,000) that the actual GM involved can not be identified.

MAF placed compliance orders on the four fields under investigation. MAF
and ERMA have reviewed post-harvest management that was applied to these
fields and concluded that they are low risk. The compliance orders have now
been cancelled and the four fields approved for normal use.

MAF’s investigations have extended to determining the extent of other
plantings of the same two imported sweet corn varieties in New Zealand last
spring. These plantings comprised 98 fields or 775ha. Some of these fields
have, subsequent to harvesting of the grain, have either been grazed or
have been planted in winter grasses. Advice provided to MAF by specialist
agronomists on all plantings of these seeds indicates that there is an
extremely low risk of residual seed germinating to produce viable sweet
corn plants, due to the crop being harvested when the kernels were immature
and the post-harvest management systems involved. MAF is working with
industry to identify all the fields that were planted from affected lines
and is working with ERMA to ensure that these fields are managed appropriately.

As a precautionary measure, MAF has seized for destruction all remaining
seed from the original imported lines to ensure none can be planted. In
the light of these events MAF officials are now reviewing testing
procedures used for imported sweet corn and maize seeds. The protocol is
already very stringent and few changes are envisaged. Nonetheless, options
will be discussed with other government agencies and stakeholders.

A copy of the ministerial briefing document is available on MAF’s web site,
together with other more specific details of the seed testing and field
appraisals.

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Gisborne sweet corn investigation ­ Questions and Answers


Thursday 7 August 2003

1. How can we be sure that the fields in Gisborne and others throughout the
country won’t produce more GM corn?

For more corn to grow there has to be viable corn seeds or corn vegetation
which can sprout into new plants. No evidence of corn seed or volunteer
plant growth was seen either within the fields or within 3 metres around
the perimeter of the fields.

Each of the four fields in Gisborne had visual inspections conducted by
MAF. These inspections consisted of systematic walking ‘sweeps’ of the
fields using four-person teams, which entirely covered each field.
Inspectors were looking for evidence of corn seed, remaining corn
vegetation (stubble) or growth of volunteer corn plants. The field teams
reported a high level of confidence that nothing was missed, due to good
visibility of the ground. In addition, a leading New Zealand scientist at
Crop and Food Research, specialising in maize and sweet corn breeding and
growing, has provided MAF with recommendations that specifically relate to
the control of volunteers in sweet corn fields. Based on this advice MAF
considers that the four fields have been subjected to post-harvest
cultivation treatments that would prevent any viable material remaining in
the fields. Harvesting also occurs when the kernels are physiologically
immature and therefore non-viable.

The other fields throughout New Zealand will be managed by a site
management plan that will address a range of potential scenarios and risk.
The initial indications are that many sweet corn fields are subjected to
post-harvest treatments that result in a low risk of volunteer corn
growing. Those post harvest treatments include measures such as immediate
cultivation after harvesting so that fresh plant material is broken up and
exposed to decay. Risk levels are therefore very low as any residual seed
heads that might be present will be immature and because of mulching will
not have the opportunity to develop further.


2. What happened to the corn that was harvested from other fields
throughout New Zealand?

It is most likely that product grown in these fields has been sold and
consumed. If the product had contained a presence of Bt11 sweetcorn, based
on the extensive testing done on other products, it is considered highly
probable that any level of presence would have been well below the 1
percent threshold for unintended presence allowed for in the Australia/New
Zealand Joint Food Standards Code.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ ), which administers the Joint
Food Standards Code assesses the safety of all GM foods before they are
approved for sale. FSANZ concluded in its safety assessment that food
derived from Bt11 corn was safe for human consumption. The New Zealand Food
Safety Authority therefore considers no further action is necessary in
relation to product grown from these fields.


3. Where were the other fields located throughout New Zealand?

There were 16 fields in Gisborne, 74 fields in Marlborough and four fields
in Canterbury.

4. What is the situation with further imports of seed from this company?

MAF, in consultation with other government departments, is reviewing the
adequacy of the testing protocols used for imported sweet corn, maize,
oilseed rape and soya bean seeds imported for sowing. Ministers will
shortly be briefed on the conclusions reached.

5. Is there a tolerance or allowance for low levels of GM to be imported
into New Zealand?

No. The law does not permit unauthorised GM seeds to be knowingly imported
or planted. If GM seeds are detected, the consignment will not be allowed
into New Zealand. However, there is always a chance that low concentrations
of GM seeds may not be detected. The limit of reliable detection is about
0.1 percent (one seed in a thousand). This is not a barrier between what is
detectable and what is not, but it indicates the level where we can
confidently find GM seeds. Lower concentrations of GM seeds may be
detected, but with much less confidence.


6. How are imports of seed tested?

The New Zealand testing regime is one of the strictest in the world. MAF
tests imported seed for growing in the environment at the border and if
there is any indication of unauthorised GM content it is not allowed in.
MAF requires all consignments of sweet corn, maize, oilseed rape and soya
bean seeds imported for sowing to be tested for the presence of GM
material Last year the sample sizes for testing for inadvertent GM content
were increased from 1,400 to 3,200 seeds. This means that the current
testing process will detect the presence of 1 GM seed in 1000 with 95
percent confidence.


7. So why wasn’t the GM picked up in the import testing process?

Unless every single seed is tested (thereby destroying it), MAF cannot
guarantee 100 percent GM-free seed.

8. Why not stop all seeds from countries that produce GM varieties?

Banning imports of maize seeds would have serious negative effects in
several agricultural industries, including dairying where green-feed and
maize silage are widely used, but could still not provide a 100 percent
guarantee to stop all GM seeds. Imported seeds are important for many New
Zealand agricultural industries ­ the price and quality of seeds affects
the competitiveness of these industries. For example, maize is grown for
food and is also an important stock feed in the dairy, pig and poultry
industries. Many of the best quality seeds come from countries that grow GM
crops, which are the world’s major seed producers. Banning seeds from those
countries would limit access to those seeds and would probably raise the
price of seeds, which would negatively affect those industries that rely on
imported seeds.

Although the costs of a ban are not clear, the value of these crops gives
an indication of their importance. MAF estimates that the annual gross
value of maize is about $70 million and that it adds $60 million in extra
production to the dairy industry. The annual gross margin of the
canola/oilseed rape crop is about $1.8 million. New Zealand also has a seed
multiplication industry worth about $20-$30 million. This issue highlights
that as a trading nation, New Zealand faces both risks and benefits from
trade. In
this case, the benefits of importing seeds outweigh the risks.

9. Are GM plants already growing in New Zealand?

Testing at the border is rigorous and, when inadvertent GM content is
found, MAF acts immediately to control the situation. With more and more GM
crops being grown and traded around the world, there will be more
opportunities for inadvertent presence in seed supplies. On the other hand,
the systems to separate GM and non-GM crops are likely to improve, driven
both by commercial pressures and demands from governments for assurances.
It is probably inevitable that there will be some instances of GM seeds
being inadvertently imported, but with appropriate actions and ongoing
assurance systems, it should be possible to keep them isolated. There is
always a chance that some low levels of GM seeds may not be detected, but
most of the time it will be detected by the assurance systems that are in
place.

MAF will investigate the suspected presence of any GM seeds as it would for
any other case where there is evidence of a breach of the Biosecurity Act 1993.

10. Is there any connection between this event and Pacific Seeds?

No. The two cases involve different GMOs and are kilometres apart.

11. If we got another call from Japan would we go through this exercise again?