This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Unauthorised GM material
13/10/2003
An investigation ordered by Scottish
Ministers of GM seed used in farm scale trials has
uncovered further evidence of unauthorised GM material.
Following detection of unauthorised GM
material in a seedlot supplied by Bayer CropScience
(formerly Aventis), in August last year, Ministers called
for a thorough and rigorous investigation of other seedlots
used in the farm scale trials.
That investigation by the Scottish
Agricultural Science Agency's GM Inspectorate on a further
seedlot used in the now completed trials has uncovered
additional material with GM traits not covered by the
release consent.
There is no risk to human health or
the environment from this material and no material from the
farm scale evaluations has entered the food chain or animal
feed.
There are no farm scale trials now
underway in Scotland and all material from previous trials
has been destroyed.
Commenting on the findings, Deputy
Environment and Rural Development Minister Allan Wilson
said:
"Our priority throughout the conduct
of these trials has been to safeguard human health and the
environment.
"We take extremely seriously any
breaches in the rigorous conditions attached to the
consents for these trials. Once evidence that non
authorised GM material had been planted the Scottish
Executive moved quickly to begin a painstaking
investigation of the other seedlots used in farm scale
trials.
"All seedlots used in the final round
of trials, planted in Autumn 2002, were tested before
planting to the satisfaction of the regulatory authorities.
These results were further confirmed by testing of leaf
material from the resultant crop.
"It is, however, clear from a lengthy
investigation by the GM Inspectorate that another seedlot
used in previous Scottish trials - two in Spring 2001 and
one in 2002 - contained low levels of GM material not
covered by the consent.
"All of this material has now been
destroyed. No material from the trials entered the food
chain or animal feed. There is no risk to human health or
the environment.
"We will be referring the case to the
Procurator Fiscal for consideration of whether prosecution
is appropriate in this particular case.
"We asked the Advisory Committee on
Releases to the Environment (ACRE) to advise on general
improvements to inspection and enforcement procedures
in the event of any future such consents being
granted.
We will implement their recommendations in
full."
Following the previous incident in
August 2002, Ministers asked the Scottish Agricultural
Science Agency (SASA) GM Inspectorate to investigate seed
used in other farm-scale evaluation trials, not notified by
Bayer as being affected.
Ministers instructed the Inspectorate
to test the seed intended for use in the last phase of the
FSE trials prior to planting, in autumn 2002.
No unauthorised material was found.
This result was later confirmed by testing
the leaves from the resultant crop.
In addition a joint investigation was
undertaken by the SASA GM Inspectorate and the Central
Science Laboratory (CSL) GM Inspectorate into seedlot E5103
previously planted at a total of eleven FSE sites in the
UK, including the following two Scottish sites planted in
spring 2001 and one Scottish site planted in spring
2002:
The Inspectorates undertook sampling
and testing of harvested seed in the Scotland and unplanted
seed in England from seedlot E5103.
The Inspectorates confirmed that
unauthorised GM elements P
nos,
nptII and the CaMV 35S promoter were present in
the seedlot.
Bayer (formerly Aventis) subsequently
informed the Inspectorate that the above elements were
present due to the presence of GM events Ms1, Rf1, Rf2 and
Topas 19/2.
The Advisory Committee on Releases to
the Environment (ACRE) confirmed that there was no
increased risk to human health or the environment from the
presence of these additional events.
ACRE's full advice.
ACRE were also asked to provide advice
on how enforcement procedures might be improved to mitigate
the possibility of future contamination.
They have now issued a report.
The Executive has undertaken to implement
its recommendations in full.
ACRE's report. Ministers will refer the case to the
Procurator Fiscal for consideration of whether prosecution
is appropriate in this particular case.
The Inspectorate verified that all
material resulting from the growing of seedlot E5103 was
harvested in autumn 2002 and was disposed of to deep
landfill in accordance with the consent.
No seed from seedlot E5103 has been grown in
the UK since the 2002 harvest.
The farm-scale evaluation trials are
now complete.
There are no further crops in the ground and
no further government-sponsored trials are planned.
The Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) of the Farm
Scale Evaluations (FSEs) have confirmed that the
contamination incidents does not affect the validity of the
FSE results.
The results of the spring-sown trials are
due to be published by the
Royal Society in their Philosophical Transactions
journal on October 16. The results of the
autumn-sown trials should be published in spring 2004.