European ruling raises specter of mandatory GM pollen tests on honey

Journal or Publishing Institution: Nature Biotechnology

Study: https://web.archive.org/web/20180731043155/https://www.nature.com/articles/nbt1111-958b

Author(s): Waltz, E.

Article Type: Journal Publication

Record ID: 1031

Text: Honey producers may be forced to test for exposure to genetically modified (GM) pollen after a decision from the high court of the European Union (EU) in Luxembourg. The court ruled in September that honey found to contain traces of pollen from GM corn must receive regulatory approval before it can be sold in Europe. If interpreted broadly, the decision could have widespread consequences for testing requirements for other agricultural products. The ruling is the result of a complaint from an amateur German beekeeper who in 2005 found traces of genetically modified (GM) pollen in his beehives. The beekeeper kept his apiary near fields where the Bavarian government was growing Monsanto’s MON 810 corn, which has been modified to express insecticidal toxins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The beekeeper was supported by Bündnis zum Schutz der Bienen vor Agro-Gentechnik, a Rosenfeld, Germany–based bee protection group opposed to genetic modification…

Keywords: Mon810, Bacillus thuringiensis, Bt, pollen, honey, genetically modified, GM, Europe, Luxembourg, bee, bees, corn, maize

Citation: Waltz, E., 2011. European ruling raises specter of mandatory GM pollen tests on honey. Nature Biotechnology, 29, pp.958