GM crops, experts say this is a trend

According to media reports, GM rice is quietly flowing into the market and flooding to the public table. What is the status of genetically modified foods in Yangzhou?

Recently, local media have begun to report that GM rice has quietly flown into the market and has flooded the public's table.

From tomato, papaya, corn, soybean, and rapeseed oil to current rice, genetically modified products have caused widespread controversy from the date of birth, with outstanding disease resistance and unconfirmed ecological risks.

The reporter's survey on genetically modified foods found that the people in Yangcheng City were more confused and the merchants were more obscure. The experts were worried.

â–  Status in Yangzhou

There are also genetically modified crops in Yangzhou.

Does Yangzhou have genetically modified rice? The reporters visited some supermarkets and discovered that almost no rice is marked with “genetically modified”. For more rice varieties, the target is natural high quality, green products and other words. The main producing areas are the three northeastern provinces and some parts of northern Jiangsu, where some foreign fragrant rice and other products are mixed.

The vast majority of rice products are not marked, but this does not mean that there is no genetically modified rice and genetically modified crops in Yangzhou.

Yesterday, the manager of a large-scale seed company in Yangzhou told reporters that Yangzhou had already sold GM soybeans and cotton seeds, which should be available to small seed companies. There may be other transgenic seeds, even genetically modified rice seeds, but these are mostly seed "black markets."

The information obtained from the Municipal Agricultural Commission proves that Yangzhou does have genetically modified crops. Yangzhou has planted about 50,000 mu of cotton, some of which are genetically modified cotton, and about 20,000 mu of soybeans, some of which are genetically modified soybeans. However, for the GM rice, the information available to the Agriculture Commission stated that, apart from research, no commercial planting of genetically modified rice has been heard in Yangzhou.

Many GM food markets

In 2008, China imported 50% of the world's genetically modified soybeans. More than 70% of China's soybean oil on the table is a genetically modified food. The reporters visited some large supermarkets in the urban areas and discovered that for edible oil, only some products were marked with the words “transgenic”, such as Jinlongyu and Fulinmen, and other edible oil products. Many edible oils were covered with cover and it was difficult to see “transgenic”. ".

During the visit, the reporter found that some soybean and other crop derivatives such as soybean milk, soybean meal, etc. are difficult to see the genetically modified logo. For some vegetables, it is more difficult to see the logo. For example, papayas, which are currently selling at a rate of 3 yuan a pound, did not find genetically modified logos, and tomatoes and other vegetables were not found. Most of the papayas and tomatoes are genetically modified products that can be obtained from experts from Yangda University.

It is reported that the State Council promulgated the "Regulations on the Administration of Agricultural Genetic Safety" in 2001 and mentioned the issue of genetically modified markers for the first time. In 2002, the Ministry of Agriculture issued the "Administrative Measures on the Labeling of Agricultural Genetically Modified Organisms," which was followed by the Ministry of Health and promulgated the "Measures for the Hygiene Management of Genetically Modified Foods."

According to these regulations, starting from March 2002, the genetically modified crops that appear in the Chinese market must be clearly marked, and the scope of genetically modified markers should be limited to 17 products of five categories: soybeans, corn, rapeseed, cotton, and tomatoes. Starting from July 1st of the same year, the “food and food additives produced by using genetically modified plants and animals, microorganisms or their directly processed products” must also be identified.

Yesterday, reporters found in the visiting market that these regulations are still virtually useless. Up till now, only a handful of “genetically modified” foods have been labeled.

Citizens: Or shocked or helpless

The vast majority of Yangcheng citizens still do not know much about genetically modified foods. When people buy products, they rarely pay attention to "genetically modified" products. As Mr. Gu, the citizen, said: “I bought soybean oil, which is written with genetically modified soybeans. I can't figure out whether there are risks.”

When we learned that most of the papayas in the market are likely to be genetically modified products, Mr. Gu is more worried because his wife often buys papayas for beauty, and he goes to the supermarket for a few weeks almost every time he buys them. "At the very least, we should also tell us that it is a genetically modified product? This way we know what it is."

In several large supermarkets in the urban areas, a random interview by reporters revealed that few people can name genetically modified foods. There are no definitive scientific arguments for the safety of GM foods. Many people are shocked and show more helplessness.

Although some of the GM foods hidden in the market have shocked some people, many people have a calm attitude. “Is cooking oil long ago being refined with genetically modified soybeans? We haven’t heard of anyone who has had problems for so many years.” Mr. Zhu said that he felt that as long as the safety assessment was conducted, there should be no problem with eating.

[News background]

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The GM rice has recently been stirred up. Bringing genetically modified rice to the tip of the wind is the suppression of the GM rice storm in Fujian.