April 2007
Genetically engineered maize: illegal, risky and out of control
Greenpeace detects illegal transgenic maize in US shipment to The Netherlands
On 10 April 2007 a Greenpeace biosafety patrol tested the Vessel Pakrac
1
in the
harbour of Rotterdam. The Pakrac was coming from the US (New Orleans, Port Davant)
with maisgluten for animal feed on board. The ship had left the US on the 11th of March
and offloaded part of its cargo on the 31st of March till the 5th of April in Dublin. Then it
came to Rotterdam harbour on 10 April where they started off loading again. Activists
from Greenpeace Netherlands were allowed on board the Pakrac and spoke to the
captain. The captain claimed that the maize cargo was free from genetic engineered
organisms. The captain agreed to give two samples to Greenpeace activists. The
samples, one maize meal and the other maize pellets, were sent to an accredited
laboratory for analysis.
On the 27
th
of April Greenpeace recieved the results of the laboratory testing showing
the presence of the illegal maize.
In the samples from the maize pellets 2.4 % percent of GE maize Pioneer/ DOW
Herculex RW (Das 59122-7) was demonstrated. This GE maize variety is not
approved for commercial use in the EU. Therefore the cargo of the Pakrac has
illegally entered the EU.
In adittion Monsanto GE maize MON863 was found to a percentage of 20 %. GE maize
MON 863 is under suspicion from posing significant health risks, after French scientsist
recently published a study which demonstrates that laboratory rats, fed with a genetically
engineered (GE) maize MON 863, have shown signs of toxicity in kidney and liver.
2
These results are highly alarming as it is proven once more that the existing
mechanisms of EU legislation concerning GMOs are not effective and cannot protect
consumers, farmers, companies and the environment from unwanted GE contamination.
The discovery of Pioneer’s Herculex maize is the fourth genetically engineered (GE)
product that was discovered to enter the EU illegally during last two years. Previously
EU consumers, businesses and authorities have been set in alarm when unapproved
1
The ship is owned by the Croatian shipping company 'Tankerska Plovidba' from Zadar, and is registered
at St. Vincent & The Grenadines.
2
G-E, Cellier, D. & Spiroux de Vendomois, J. 2007. New analysis of a rat feeding study with a genetically
modified maize reveals signs of hepatorenal toxicity.
i
Séralini,