Wellington, New Zealand
March 30, 2004
The New Zealand 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.
US GM laboratory audit – Questions and Answers
1) What is the process for auditing
laboratories? Why did this company fail its MAF audit?
The purpose of MAF’s audit was to ensure that the
company’s practice met New Zealand’s standards for imported
seeds for sowing. MAF has been working with all of its GM
testing laboratories to ensure they are accredited to the
international standard, NZS/ISO/IEC 17025 (General requirements
for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories), or
equivalent. As part of this process, MAF performed a site audit
of Biogenetic Services Ltd. This audit identified several
deficiencies. MAF has suspended accreditation of this laboratory
until it can be satisfied that the lab is fully compliant with
MAF standards.
2) When did this laboratory fail its audit?
MAF visited the laboratory on 3 March 2004 and
analysed the findings of the audit. The laboratory was advised
by MAF on Saturday 27 March that it would have its accreditation
suspended.
3) Will the testing protocol in MAF’s Import
Health Standard be reviewed?
Yes. Rapid advances in testing methods require
that MAF update its protocol accordingly to improve clarity. MAF
recognises this fact and periodically reviews the associated
documentation.
4) When was this laboratory last audited?
This laboratory was last audited in October 2001.
Recently, the requirement for a base internationally-recognised
quality assurance standard (e.g. NZS/ ISO/IEC 17025 or
equivalent) has been added as a criterion.
5) What happens to seeds tested by this
laboratory that are currently in transit?
MAF’s Quarantine Service has been instructed to
detain at the border all such consignments as they enter New
Zealand. Consignments in transit will have to be re-tested at
another MAF-approved facility if required. New Zealand’s import
requirements mean that companies must go through MAF-approved
laboratories. Consignments that are currently being prepared for
entry will have to use another of the MAF approved facilities.
MAF will consider assisting with additional costs that may be
incurred. Seed importers will be advised of these changes and
the names and locations of alternative MAF-accredited testing
facilities.
6) How many consignments for New Zealand has
this laboratory tested?
There have been 52 consignments since the
beginning of 2003.
7) How many other facilities are available
to growers importing seeds?
Three. They are:
GeneScan USA Inc, New Orleans,
USA;
AgriQuality GMO Services, Melbourne,
Australia; and
Eurofins
Scientific Analytic, Nantes,
France.
8) Is this a food safety issue?
This matter
will only be of interest to NZFSA if it can be demonstrated that
seed has been imported of a non-approved GM variety or if there
is any other non-compliance identified.
NZFSA
performed an audit of targeted foods and undertook product
testing just over 12 months ago that showed a high level of
compliance with New Zealand GM food standards. Follow-up testing
is planned post July 2004. In the meantime, NZFSA is following
developments closely and will act as appropriate should any food
safety related issues be identified.
9) How long has MAF been using this
laboratory?
Since October 2001.
10) Is there a tolerance or allowance for low
levels of GM seeds to be imported into New Zealand?
No. The law does not permit GM seeds for sowing to be knowingly
imported or planted. If GM seeds are detected, the consignment
will not be allowed into New Zealand. However, there is always a
chance that low concentrations of GM seeds may not be detected.
The limit of reliable detection using qualitative methods is
about 0.1 percent (one seed in a thousand). This is not a
barrier between what is detectable and what is not, but it
indicates the level where we can confidently find GM seeds. More
recently, lower concentrations of GM seeds may be detected, to a
lower reliable level of detection using quantitative techniques
such as real time PCR..
11) How are imports of seed tested?
The New Zealand testing regime is one of the strictest in the
world. MAF tests imported seed for growing in the environment at
the border and if there is any indication of GM content it is
not allowed in. MAF requires all consignments of sweet corn,
maize, oilseed rape and soya bean seeds imported for sowing to
be tested for the presence of GM material
In 2002, the sample sizes for testing for inadvertent GM content
were increased from 1,400 to 3,200 seeds. This means that the
current testing process will detect the presence of one GM seed
in 1000 with 95 percent confidence.
12) Why not stop all seeds from countries
that produce GM varieties?
Banning imports of maize seeds would have serious negative
effects in several agricultural industries, including dairying
where grain-feed and maize silage are widely used because we are
reliant on imported seeds.
Imported seeds are important for many New Zealand agricultural
industries – the price and quality of seeds affects the
competitiveness of these industries. For example, maize is grown
for food and is also an important stock feed in the dairy, pig
and poultry industries. Many of the best quality seeds come from
countries that grow GM crops, which are the world’s major seed
producers. Banning seeds from those countries would limit access
to those seeds and would probably raise the price of seeds,
which would negatively affect those industries that rely on
imported seeds.
Although the costs of a ban are not clear, the value of these
crops gives an indication of their importance. MAF estimates
that the annual gross value of maize is about $70 million and
that it adds $60 million in extra production to the dairy
industry. New Zealand also has a seed multiplication industry
worth about $20-$30 million. This issue highlights that as a
trading nation, New Zealand faces both risks and benefits from
trade. A very strict Import Health Standard is aimed at
minimising the risks associated with import.
Further Information:
Exporters and Importers seeking clarification or advice should
contact Rob Taylor National Adviser –
Seed for Sowing, Plants Biosecurity on 04 474 4100.
For more information about MAF and GM visit
http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/rural-nz/research-and-development/biotechnology/gm-and-maf/index.htm
For further information about The New Zealand Food Safety
Authority and GM visit
www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumers/food-safety/gm/index.htm
For further information about MAF protocols visit:
http://www.maf.govt.nz/biosecurity/imports/plants/papers/gm-seeds/zea-mays-protocol.htm
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