The detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in a rice shipment from Pakistan destined for the European Union has raised serious concerns among export circles.
The European Commission’s notification revealed that an organic basmati rice consignment imported from Pakistan through the Netherlands was found to be contaminated with genetically modified rice. Sampling conducted on July 31, 2024, categorized the product as hazardous due to unauthorized GMO presence.
As per a news report, the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) issued a notification on August 2, 2024, regarding the discovery. The contamination source has been traced back to government laboratories in Germany and Luxembourg.
Rice is Pakistan’s second most important food crop and a significant export commodity to European countries, which have stringent regulations against GMO products due to health concerns.
The EU maintains a zero-tolerance policy for GMO rice, and Pakistan has adopted a similar stance. However, lapses in the regulatory framework could undermine these efforts.
The recent incident is not isolated. In June 2021, a shipment containing 500 tonnes of GM rice from India was also detected. In response, Pakistan tightened regulatory checks on rice cargoes to curb the trade of GM rice. The federal government instructed the Department of Plant Protection, Ministry of Food Security & Research (MFS&R) to enforce strict regulations on inbound and outgoing rice consignments following concerns raised by the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP). These measures were implemented after European Union authorities rejected shipments containing GM rice.
The Punjab government echoed similar concerns in April 2018, expressing strong reservations about the trade of GM rice. As part of these tightened regulations, Pakistan blocked the entry of a Chinese rice seed shipment in 2018, leading to diplomatic communications from the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad. The Chinese diplomat highlighted the issue of a 2,000-ton shipment of hybrid rice seed being stuck at Karachi port due to negative GMO testing results.
