Chamber and committees

EU seeds legislation requires that member states should ensure that they are notified of the particulars of any seed (to be used for multiplication purposes as opposed to grain) weighing over 2kgs which is directly imported from Canada or any other third country. No such notifications have ever been received by Scottish ministers regarding seed from Canada. This information is not, however, routinely compiled at EU level and the Scottish Government has no information on such notifications elsewhere in Europe.

EU seeds legislation does not require the monitoring of seed imports for adventitious GM presence (AGMP). However, the Scottish Government GM Inspectorate monitors the direct import of non-GM seed that is of high risk by conducting a twice yearly survey of seed companies. Information on voluntary monitoring carried out elsewhere in the EU, is available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/biotechnology/pdf/seeds_study_2007.pdf.

When goods are imported from other European Union (EU) countries, they have free movement within the single market of the EU. However, retailers, wholesalers and importers are able to trace the origin of goods that have been imported through supply chain records.

I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that food and feed retailers and wholesalers are responsible for ensuring that the food and feed they sell does not contain unauthorised GM material. Enforcement of food law, and routine sampling and testing of feed and food, is the responsibility of local authorities. The agency has alerted food businesses, trade bodies and local authorities that batches of linseed imported from Canada into the EU have been found to contain an unauthorised GM variety, and has advised that UK operators who use linseed may wish to check the situation with their suppliers.

I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that food and feed retailers and wholesalers are responsible for ensuring that the food and feed they sell does not contain unauthorised GM material. The agency has alerted relevant trade bodies and food businesses, and local authorities, that batches of linseed (flax seed) imported from Canada into the EU have been found to contain a small proportion of a GM variety that is not authorised to be marketed in the European Union, and that there has been a report that the GM variety has been confirmed in Canadian linseed imported by a UK operator, who is notifying its customers. The agency has reminded food businesses, trade bodies and local authorities that the presence of unauthorised GM material in any food is illegal, and such products should not be placed on the market, and has advised them of available tests. If any tests undertaken result in a positive finding of GM presence, the results will be notified to the competent authorities (the Food Standards Agency and the local authority), who will undertake a risk assessment and take appropriate action.

There is no commercially grown flax for its fibre in the UK. There is a small amount of linseed production, which also comes from the flax plant, in the UK. The main uses of linseed oil are as a drying agent in paints, resins, inks, soaps, varnishes, wood treatments and linoleum. There is also a market for linseed meal as animal feed and whole seed is used in the baking and confectionery industries.

I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed notification 2009.1256, was issued because a food business''s check confirmed the presence of unauthorised genetically modified FP 967 linseed originating from Canada in cereals and bakery products.

This information is not held centrally. There is no legal requirement to record or provide this information, and to do so would be likely to impose an administrative and financial burden on industry and regulators. However, according to the European Feed Manufacturers'' Association, 85% of the EU''s compound feed production is now labelled to indicate that it contains GMOs or GM-derived material.

I refer the member to the question S3W-27249 on 24 September 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

This information is not held centrally. There is no legal requirement to record or provide this information, and to do so would be likely to impose an administrative and financial burden on industry and regulators.