New GM alert no reason to prolong moratorium says Clark

By KEVIN TAYLOR, political reporter

The discovery that genetically modified sweetcorn was grown near Gisborne does not mean a moratorium on commercial GM release should be extended, says Prime Minister Helen Clark.

But GM opponents such as the Green Party were yesterday turning up the heat on the Government as the end of the moratorium in October draws closer.

On Friday the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry revealed a New Zealand company had alerted it to GM-positive tests carried out in Japan by a pizza-maker on a topping mix containing the sweetcorn grown near Gisborne.

Testing over the weekend showed the presence of Bt11, an insect and herbicide-resistant GM sweetcorn variety that can legally be eaten in New Zealand but not grown here.

MAF was yesterday still investigating how the sweetcorn grown by Sunrise Coast NZ was contaminated.

Meanwhile, Helen Clark said on radio the issue was not one of food safety, so it did not worry her in that sense.

"It's a very low level of concentration, but obviously MAF's going to want to get to the bottom of how it happened when the seed as such was certified as GM-free.

"We have to get to the bottom of why it then popped up in a processed product down the line, but I don't think it's any reason to continue the moratorium."

MAF is investigating possible causes of contamination - from the imported US seed, from cross-contamination from adjacent fields, during harvesting and processing, and during laboratory testing.

Green Party safe food spokeswoman Sue Kedgley said the "fiasco" should cause the Government to rethink its plan to let such crops grow commercially.

"Despite the Government's defensive posture, the entire incident brings home to us the risks to our markets if we lift the moratorium," Ms Kedgley said.

She said even a tiny amount of contamination could imperil export markets, which demanded GM-free supplies.

"If the Government doesn't extend the moratorium, it is playing roulette with growers' earnings and the country's economic future."

The party is being backed by the Sustainability Council, chaired by businessman and former Federated Farmers president Sir Peter Elworthy.

Sunrise Coast managing director Tim Chrisp also opposes lifting the moratorium.

The market required its products to be GM-free, he said, and the affair could damage his business.

Act rural affairs spokesman Gerry Eckhoff accused the Greens of scaremongering over "minuscule amounts" of GM material that may or may not have originated in New Zealand.

"The real problem is not genetically modified organisms, but ... organisms such as fire ants, mosquitoes, varroa mites, painted apple moths and the like."

He said more than 66 million hectares of GM crops were grown worldwide and GM organisms posed no risk to health.

Environment Minister Marian Hobbs yesterday repeated that the issue had nothing to do with the GM moratorium.

But Greenpeace's genetic engineering campaigner, Steve Abel, said the contamination had "everything" to do with the moratorium.

"MAF are still baffled as to how this has happened and that is exactly why GE should be kept in the lab."

GENETICALLY MODIFIED CORN

Why was the corn genetically altered?

To ward off insects and allow certain herbicides to be used to control weeds.

How was it done?

The "cry1Ab" gene from a common soil bacterium was inserted, letting Bt11 produce its own insecticide which is only lethal to moth and butterfly larvae. To resist glufosinate ammonium, the active ingredient in some herbicides, the "pat" gene from a common soil fungi-like bacterium was inserted. It produces an enzyme to convert glufosinate ammonium into an inactive and harmless form.

Does this make the corn unsafe to eat?

No. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), an independent agency, assesses the safety of 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. Bt11 was officially approved in 2001.

How did the authorities determine that the insect-resisting process was safe?

Bt11 was compared with non-GM corn to identify whether it had different levels of allergens, toxins, nutrients or anti-nutrients that are naturally present in any food. Officials concluded food derived from Bt11 corn was safe.

Should the GM moratorium remain to prevent cases similar to the Gisborne sweetcorn incident?

The Government says there is no need to extend the moratorium on commercial release beyond October. Opponents say it should stay to protect our "clean and green" image, environment, and valuable export markets.