Oregon wheat under scrutiny

By Yi Whan-woo

The government has beefed up its inspections of wheat imported from the United States following the U.S. government’s discovery of unapproved genetically modified (GM) wheat in an Oregon field.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) said Thursday that all Oregon wheat has been thoroughly checked.

Currently, an inspection covers a 1-kilogram sample from each shipment of U.S. wheat. Starting Friday, the government tested additional samples of 1 kilogram from each container of U.S. wheat, it said.

The Ministry of Food and Drugs Safety (MFDS) said it will look into all crops and flour imported from Oregon.

It added it will also inspect products that are already on the market and will report its findings next week.

“We have not found any genetically engineered substances in any of the wheat imported from overseas, including the U.S,” the agricultural ministry said in a press release. “We will, however, continue to conduct a thorough check on the grain for any possible threat to people, as well as inspect for pests and plant diseases.”

The Korea Flour Mills Industrial Association, which is comprised of a group of eight wheat importers and flour manufacturers, said its members will temporarily suspend purchases of western white wheat from the U.S. until the MFDS releases its results.

“It is highly doubtful that the imported wheat is genetically modified because more than 90 percent of it was grown in winter, whereas the seeds found in this case were for the spring planting season,” it said.

A day earlier, the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed unapproved genetically modified wheat had been found in an Oregon field.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said there was no evidence that the genetically engineered wheat had entered the U.S. market. However, Seoul said precautionary measures were inevitable as Oregon exports nearly 90 percent of its wheat.

“The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency inspects each shipment of agricultural products, including wheat, for pests and genetically modified substances,” a ministry official said. "No GM substance has been found so far."

Korea imported some 1.2 million tons of wheat from the United States in 2012 for animal feed.

“We’re looking into products sold by sellers and manufacturers of the U.S. wheat, and will inspect the crop and flour produced from Oregon,” the food and drug administration ministry said. “We’ll make sure to suspend any sales of genetically modified wheat.”

The MFDS under the Prime Minister’s Office said it collected samples from the seven major importers. They include CheilJedang, an affiliate of the family-owned CJ Group that also operates Tour Les Jours, a major bakery chain in the country. Others are the country’s leading flour manufacturers Daehan Flour Mills, Samhwa Flour Mills, Samyang Milmax and Korea Flour Mills.

Korea is a major importer of American wheat. One-third of its western white wheat is purchased from Oregon.

Citing the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Korean government said the wheat found on a farm in Oregon was the same strain as genetically modified wheat designed to be herbicide-resistant and legally tested by Monsanto, a U.S. seed giant, between 1998 and 2005.

The company stopped testing that product in Oregon and several other states in 2005, and never approved it for commercial use, MAFRA said.

Japan, a major U.S wheat importer along with Korea, suspended some imports of wheat produced in America after the incident.

In addition, the European Union said it would test incoming American shipments and block any containing genetically modified material.