Richard Werren, md of safety certification firm Cert ID Europe, has urged caution after a doubling of border alerts involving imported rice compared with last year.
Recent figures from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed reported 26 border rejections this year, up from 11 in 2010, with the most involving rice products, according to Cert ID.
Border rejections
The results showed that there had been a number of rejections of Basmati rice containers from India and Pakistan, where polymerase chain reaction testing proved the products contained EU unauthorised GMOs.
Werren said: “Basmati rice is a special, high value rice and assuming it is not available in GM form, one may conclude these consignments are being deliberately cut with cheap GM-rice to boost profits.
“In the case of GM, food manufacturers simply should not put any trust or credence in the paperwork accompanying any imported rice, rice derivatives or products containing rice.”
He also added that any non-GM assurances based on origin were “insecure” as a result of global supply chain methods.
Meanwhile, for news of why ethnic food firm Wanis was ordered to pay £100,000 for selling fake Pickapeppa sauce, click here.