Ukraine: Total inspection of feed grain GMOs
The Ukraine Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food will soon start mass inspection of all seeds and grain produced and imported by Ukrainian companies for the presence of any genetic modification, said Mykola Prysiazhniuk, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food.
The Ministry announced the mass inspection in the wake of the uproar caused by the recent study by French scientists from the University of Caen (north of France) which showed a link between cancer and GMO products. For two years scientists conducted, in strict secrecy, experiments by feeding 200 rats with genetically modified corn. The study was published in Nature.
“In connection with the recent scandal in Europe connected to GMO corn, we now are carrying out tests on imported seeds all over the country, and those seeds which are already in the Ukraine,” said Prisyazhniuk.
International experts have been invited to hold a scientific forum in the Ukraine to discuss the future outlook of genetically modified engineering.
“We need three months to conduct a total review and make a decision,” said the minister.
The Ukraine currently does not inspect farmers to see whether they are feeding their animals with GMO.
In studies conducted by the Ukraine’s service for consumer standards, evidence of GMOs were discovered in baked goods, confectionery, meat, meat products, processed meat and dairy products. No exceptions to GMO contamination were products labelled “non-GMO”: evidence of GMOs was found in 10% of the products carrying the label. It is assumed that after a new test, animal feed made with GMOs will be withdrawn from circulation.
