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Media Release |
Tuesday 30 March 2004
MAF suspends US GM testing laboratory accreditation
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) today announced that it had suspended its accreditation of US GM testing laboratory Biogenetic Services Ltd. An audit of this laboratory identified a number of issues that must be resolved.
MAF’s acting director of plants biosecurity, Dr Veronica Herrera said today that MAF accredits international laboratories to test lines of seed that importers seek to bring into New Zealand.
“MAF’s importation requirements specify that these laboratories use the best practicable measures and quality control systems to determine whether or not GM material is present,” Veronica Herrera said.
“We review all of our accredited labs to satisfy ourselves that they are meeting MAF’s requirements. Such a review has resulted in Biogenetic Services having its MAF accreditation suspended.
“The laboratory was one of three international laboratories accredited by MAF to perform GM testing on seeds of different varieties of corn (Zea mays).
“The laboratory has been informed of MAF’s decision to suspend its accreditation. As a precaution, MAF’s Quarantine Service has been instructed to detain at the border all consignments of seed tested by this laboratory and hold these for possible further testing by MAF-approved facilities. Seed importers will be advised of these measures.
“New Zealand’s policy is that if GM presence is identified, seeds for sowing cannot be imported,” Veronica Herrera said.
“This laboratory has co-operated fully with MAF’s investigations and is currently taking steps to ensure that it can be re-accredited as soon as possible.
“MAF’s last audit of Biogenetic Services was in October 2001. This facility has provided test certificates amounting to about 40 percent of corn consignments from the US since January 2003. Other imports from the US were tested by different MAF-accredited testing facilities,” Veronica Herrera said.
Independently of this audit, MAF has accredited a new US testing laboratory, GeneScan USA Inc (New Orleans). This lab joins AgriQuality GMO Services (Melbourne) and Eurofins Scientific Analytic (France) as a MAF-approved GM testing facility.
Media contact:
Brett Sangster, MAF Director Corporate Communications
Phone: 0-4-498 9882 or 0-27-247 8777
