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China Ag ministry official says no GM canola imports approved after April 20

(Tuesday, March 30, 2004 -- CropChoice news) -- Canola is not approved for import into China after April 20th, when the temporary safety certificates for GMO products expire and imports may be halted as a result, said Shi Yanquan, Head of the GMO office for China's Ministry of Agriculture ( http://202.127.45.180/english/

Speaking to reporters at the Canola Council Convention here, Shi indicated that only 5 varieties or "events" have been approved and they include some soybeans and soy products and some corn and corn products. He said that a further 12 events have not been approved and that canola and its products are among them.

In February, the Chinese government established temporary safety certificates which permitted the import of products that have been genetically modified. Those temporary certificates expire April 20th and Shi indicated that he did not expect any further extensions on the safety certificates.

Speaking through an interpreter, he stated that on April 21st only GMO products with the normal safety certificates will be allowed to be imported. He noted that for human consumption products, such as canola or soybeans, the safety certificates will be reviewed every 3 years by the Chinese government. For non human consumption products the review would take place every 5 years. He said China's Agriculture ministry was testing the products on two main issues. The first was the issue of human health and the second was the issue of environmental impact.

Sources: http://www.Checkbiotech.org
Resource News International, http://www.canadagrain.com/newswire/