Sens. Harkin, Chambliss Request Review of Biotechnology Protocols

From the U.S. Rice Producers Association today in a special edition of Rice Advocate:

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Republican Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) authored a letter to the Government Accountability Office requesting a review of the 1986 Coordinated Framework for Regulation of Biotechnology.

As evidenced by the adventitious presence of LLRICE601 and LLRICE604 in the U.S. rice supply, the framework used to evaluate the safety and containment of genetic material may have serious shortcomings.

USRPA sees this review as potentially a positive step forward in dealing with the problem of adventitious presence by reviewing these procedures and hopefully establishing a comprehensive, effective set of safeguards and control mechanisms based on sound science that will prevent future industry mishaps, both for the rice industry and U.S. agriculture as a whole.

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