GMO-contaminated Ukrainian seed seized in Hungary

Thanks to repeated checks and strict food security regulations, officials of the National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih) seized nearly 40 tonnes of GMO-contaminated maize seed originating from Ukraine in January, the minister of agriculture said on Saturday.

Istvan Nagy said on Facebook that the government would continue to protect Hungary’s food security and the interests of Hungarian farmers. The goal remains to ensure that Hungarians only receive excellent quality and safe food, he added.

As a result, Nébih will continue to perform regular checks, he said.

After detecting the nearly 40 tonnes of GMO-contaminated seed, Nébih launched proceedings against the distributor and arranged for the destruction of the stock, he said.

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“We resolutely maintain the position that the same regulations apply to agricultural products imported from third countries as to those produced in the European Union,” the minister added.

Hungary will maintain a national import ban on agricultural products from Ukraine as long as an international solution of equal effect is found, Nagy said.

The ban does not apply to seeds and transit shipments but the authorities will seal the shipments at the border and trace their transit through the country, he added.