The discovery of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in a rice shipment from Pakistan has caused significant concern among export circles, particularly as it was destined for the European Union (EU). According to an official notification from the European Commission, the shipment of organic basmati rice, imported through the Netherlands, was found to be contaminated with genetically modified rice. The EU authorities conducted sampling of the product on July 31, 2024, and classified it as hazardous due to the presence of unauthorized genetically modified material, raising alarms about potential health risks.
The EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) issued a notification on August 2, 2024, regarding this contamination. The source of the GMO contamination has been traced to government laboratories in Germany and Luxembourg.
This is not the first instance of such an issue; in June 2021, a shipment of 500 tonnes of genetically modified rice from India was detected. In response to previous incidents, Pakistan had already tightened regulatory checks on rice shipments to curb the trade of genetically modified (GM) rice, starting in early 2018. These measures were implemented after serious concerns were raised by the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) regarding the detection of GM rice in certain shipments, which led to the rejection of Pakistani consignments by the EU.
In April 2018, the federal government issued strict regulatory instructions to the Department of Plant Protection under the Ministry of Food Security & Research (MFS&R) to monitor both inbound and outbound rice consignments. Similar concerns were echoed by the Punjab government, which also expressed reservations about the trade of GM rice.
The tightening of regulations led to significant actions, including the blocking of a Chinese rice seed shipment in 2018, which sparked diplomatic discussions between Pakistan and China. The Chinese Embassy in Islamabad intervened after a shipment of over 2,000 tons of hybrid rice seed was held at Karachi port due to negative GMO test results.
Rice is Pakistan’s second most important food crop and a significant export commodity, particularly to European countries, which enforce a zero-tolerance policy for GMO products due to serious health concerns. Consequently, Pakistan has adopted a strict stance against the research, development, import, and export of GMO rice. However, the recent detection of GMO in a shipment underscores potential gaps in the regulatory framework.
In a related development, the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, recently conducted trials on GM sugarcane, which faced strong opposition from various groups concerned about the potential health risks associated with GM technology.
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