GM alfalfa has not yet obtained China’s agricultural GMO safety certificate;
Precautionary measures will be imposed on two US companies;
Undocumented GMOs will be rejected or destroyed;
On 4 Aug, China AQSIQ issued a warning that undocumented GM ingredients had been detected in imported alfalfa from the United States and urged that precautionary measures should be adopted. Fujian CIQ reported that the alfalfa was shipped by two US companies despite the fact that the GM ingredient has not yet obtained an agricultural GMO safety certificate. The AQSIQ hence required that a GM screening program be imposed on all shipments made by the two US companies: ANDERSON HAY AND GRAIN CO., INC (USDA 120429) and EIGHT STAR COMMDITIES (USDA090406). If GM ingredients are found, the cargo should be destroyed or rejected within two months, otherwise the authority will suspend the entry animal and plant quarantine permit of the affected companies. The precautionary measures will be implemented in the next six months and the AQSIQ might elevate or remove the inspection depending on the screening result.
