GMO corn shipments from the U.S. are being rejected in China after discovering the grain contained a genetically modified corn not approved by Beijing.
As reported earlier by Natural News Blogs, shipments to China containing GMO foods were turned away at the border when a specific genetically modified strain of corn, not approved by the Chinese government, was found in the cargo.
This article was a forewarning that more US shipments would probably undergo closer scrutiny. Reuters recently confirmed these suspicions when it was reported that more GMO corn was found in US cargos and the entire shipment was rejected.
Last month, a shipment containing 60,000 tons of GMO corn was found tainted with the unapproved version called MIR 162. This same strain of GMO corn was also discovered in 49 containers, or about 1225 tons at the port of Shenzhen. Shenzhen quarantine department was the party who rejected the first shipment of GMO food.
China already has approved 25 different varieties of GMO corn. However, MIR 162 is not approved and has been found in several shipments of corn cargos.
China has now rejected five shipments of GMO corn. That equals nearly 121,000 tons according to an article published in MSN Money. These refusals of shipments tainted with unapproved GMO corn could discourage imports among an ever-growing surplus of domestic supply.
Nearly 2 million more tons are currently on their way to China. According to MSN, “…adjustments made to import agreements between the U.S. and China last year, U.S. exporters are now deemed liable for any losses caused by problematic or unapproved cargoes…”
This lack of oversight has already caused repercussions in the market. Corn futures are currently about 40% lower than they were during the same time a year ago.
GMO Corn Futures
With so much of the American corn crop vested in GMO corn production, the future of corn could be facing serious problems. Depending on the source, estimates of GMO corn production comprises between 85% to 92% of all corn crop grown in the US.
Even though there is still another 3 million more tons bought by China waiting to be shipped, there’s less urgency to import corn at the moment because of these recent ejections. Many of the shipments are being diverted to other countries.
Yet, here in the US, GMO corn isn’t labeled. Corn is used as a filler in many processed foods sold on grocery store shelves. The action of Chinese government turning away large shipments of unapproved GMO corn begs the question for American consumers;
If this GMO corn is not good enough for the Chinese government, why is good enough for American government?
Brett Allen
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Brett Allen is the author of the NO GMO Diet. In his eye-opening book, he records his 21 day journey to lowering his blood pressure by nearly 40 points, and losing 19 pounds by simply eliminating GMOs from his diet.
Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/noGMOdiet
Sources:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/12/03/china-us-corn-idUSL4N0JI0FG20131203
http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=OBR&date=20131204&id=17162311
http://futures.tradingcharts.com/chart/CN/M
