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From Bio Journal - April 2011


Non-approved GM papaya distributed in Okinawa and Miyazaki

With approval for GM papaya thought to be not far off, the National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS) purchased samples of raw papaya fruit and papaya seedlings in Okinawa Prefecture in early December 2010 in order to establish a testing method. MAFF announced on 22 February 2011 that having performed trial analyses on these samples it was found that GM genes were detected in one of the eight samples.

Since it was found that the GM genes contained DNA in common with a GM papaya now in the process of research in Taiwan, it is thought that there is a strong possibility that a Taiwanese GM papaya was mixed in with the purchased samples.

This GM papaya has a trait for resistance to the virus that causes the papaya ringspot disease. Similar papayas are already being cultivated in Hawaii and these Hawaiian papayas have also previously been distributed on the Japanese market.

Papayas grown in Japan are mainly varieties that have been multiplied as cuttings from seedlings propagated by tissue culture at the tropical crop section of Miyazaki Agricultural Institute. However, seeds and seedlings are imported from countries including Taiwan and Thailand, the largest exporter to Japan being Taiwan. Further, although much imported papaya fruit is from the Philippines, roughly 15 tons are imported annually from Taiwan, a 0.5% share of the market.

Following the announcement on 22 February, GM papaya was found in papaya tea produced by Miyazaki Shokken (Miyazaki Food Research Co., Ltd.) on 23 February and a recall order was issued. According to an investigation by the Miyazaki City Public Health Department, the papaya tea had been produced two years previously.



The end of cloned livestock development?

The Current State of Cloned Livestock Research as of September 2010 has been published. (See BJ August 2010). The number of livestock in utero have dropped to almost zero, making it clear that R&D on cloned livestock is approaching its end.


Table 1: The Current State of Livestock Clone Research in Japan (head)
3/2010*9/2010**
Total No. of births of germ line cell cloned cattle

728

728

Stillborn

75

75

Post-natal death

35

35

Death from sickness

105

105

Death from accidents

20

20

Provided for experiments

77

77

Sold, meat production

329

329

Missing

63

63

In research facilities, testing

24

24

In utero

0

2

Total No. of births of somatic cell cloned cattle

583

588

Stillborn

80

84

Post-natal death

94

94

Death from sickness (within 6 months of birth)

112

112

Death from sickness (later than 6 months after birth)

36

36

Death from accidents

9

9

Provided for experiments

193

196

In research facilities, testing

57

57

In utero

10

1

Total No. of births of somatic cell cloned pig

482

482

Stillborn

93

115

Post-natal death

51

54

Death from sickness

142

167

Death from accidents

18

24

Provided for experiments

134

152

In research facilities, testing

44

48

In utero

19

6

(Mini-pigs are not included)

Total No. of births of somatic cell cloned goat

9

9

Stillborn

1

1

Post-natal death

3

3

Death from sickness

3

3

Death from accidents

0

0

Provided for experiments

0

0

In research facilities, testing

2

2

In utero

0

0

* Accumulated total for the period 1998 to end March 2010
** Accumulated total for the period 1998 to end September 2010






GMO crop approvals for February 2011

Table 2: GM crops approved for open field cultivation (Type 1 usage)
(Biodiversity Impact Assessment Investigative Commission)
CropTraitApplication
(Developer)
NameApproval Date*
RapeseedGlyphosate and glyphosinate herbicide tolerance, male sterility and fertility restorationBayer CropScienceMS8 × RF3 × RT73, OECD UI: ACS-BN005-8 × ACS-BN003-6 × MON-00073-717 February 2011
* Technically, approval is granted after public comments have been accepted.





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