On 18 August, the United States of America informed the European Commission that US long grain rice, exported in large volumes to the European Union, had been found to contain a genetically modified event, LL RICE 601, unauthorised at Community level.

CIAA was informed of the potential presence of this unauthorised event on 22 August 2006.  On 23 August the Commission issued emergency measures regarding the non-authorised entry of the genetically modified organism LL RICE 601 in rice products.

CIAA immediately took action to inform its members of the situation.
 
Rice and rice products are imported from many third countries, including from the United States of America.

The presence of LL RICE 601 was absolutely not predictable for industry, as neither LL RICE 601 nor any other GM rice has been commercialised.
 
Industry takes every reasonable step possible, using sophisticated identity preserved systems, to avoid the presence of any GMO material or their derivatives in rice products.  However, for the reasons outlined above, no such systems could have been in place for rice, which would have been expected to contain no genetically modified material.

As a consequence, operators plan within the framework of their self-checking programme for suitable measures to ensure the absence of genetically modified LL RICE 601 in those products which they place on the market.