17 February 2002
GE PIGLETS ENTERED FOOD CHAIN IN CANADA
A GM pig ended up on the menu of a funeral banquet in the states while
cloned calves entered the human food chain in Japan. Now material derived
from 11 piglets genetically modified to develop a different kind of swine
waste has been rendered into animal feed in Canada. here's some federal
reassurance (not to say obfuscation)
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http://www.newswire.ca/releases/February2002/16/c2628.html
Canada NewsWire
Attention News/Health Editors:
Federal officials today announced joint action to control an inadvertent disposal of genetically modified animal material from a University of Guelph research facility
OTTAWA, Feb. 16 /CNW/ - Federal officials today announced joint action to control an inadvertent disposal of genetically modified animal material from a University of Guelph research facility. The material is derived from 11 genetically modified piglets which were part of a research project designed to develop swine waste that will be less damaging to the environment.
When notified by university researchers, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Environment Canada (EC) and Health Canada (HC) acted to assess potential risk to human health, prevent the distribution of the genetically modified material in animal feed, and determine potential violation of federal legislation.
Health Canada has conducted a qualitative risk assessment which has concluded that the low level of genetically modified material that was rendered into animal feed represents minimal risk to human health.
Environment Canada is in the process of determining whether this event contravenes the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
The CFIA is tracing the movement of feed from the processing facilities to determine the extent and scope of its distribution and will take necessary action, under the Feeds Act, to prevent the distribution of any remaining [note - ie that has not already been distributed and consumed] rendered product or feed that may contain the genetically modified material.
Updated information will be provided to Canadians as it becomes available.
For further information: Environment Canada Media Relation:
(819) 953-4016; Canadian Food Inspection Agency Media Relations:
(613) 228-6682; Health Canada Media Relations: (613) 941-8189
Canadian Food Inspection Agency has 365 releases in this database.