Over 1m tonnes of feed in Europe contain banned GMOs: report

Over one million tonnes of animal feed in Europe could be contaminated by banned genetically modified organisms contained in a vitamin-based additive, French newspaper Le Monde reported yesterday. Citing a memo from Dutch health authorities, Le Monde said that eight tonnes of a vitamin B2 additive produced by a genetically modified strain of the Bacillus subtilis bacteria had been sold in Poland, Italy and the Netherlands between April and June.

The additive, also known as riboflavin (80%), is used in the feed of cattle, pigs and poultry. Because only a small amount of additive is used, the amount of feed that may have been contaminated could run from 800,000 to 1.6 million tonnes, Le Monde quoted the Dutch authorities as saying.

The additive was produced by Chinese company Shandong and distributed by Dutch company Trouw Nutrition, owner of Nutreco, the world leader in animal feed. Some 2,500 kilogrammes has already been used in feed in Poland. The report comes two months after the European Commission withdrew the vitamin's authorisation and ordered it to be withdrawn from sale by November 10, after the European Food Safety Authority said it presented a risk for both animals and humans.