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Japan, South Korea deal with GMO fruit, political heat

(Jan. 28, 2002 – CropChoice news) – The Japanese are attempting to deal with biotech papayas while the South Koreans are feeling the heat from U.S. officials over their regulations on genetically modified food.

The Japanese government has strengthened its checks on U.S. transgenic papaya imports, after discovering a banned genetically modified variety in one of the samples of a shipment from Hawaii, according to the Health Ministry.

Meanwhile, at the Korea-U.S. Action Agenda Meeting, the South Korean government is facing pressure from the United States to ease its regulations on genetically modified food, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Specifically, U.S. trade officials, out of their concern over imports, want to see a revision of the requirement that companies must apply for permits during each phase of production and distribution of transgenic food products.

South Korean officials countered that the regulations are no different than those of Japan and the European Union.

Sources: Reuters