GM rice found in supermarkets

GENETICALLY modified rice is being sold in supermarkets in China including US retail giant Wal-Mart, environmental group Greenpeace said in a report that contradicts government statements.

The study said GM rice was being sold in Wal-Mart stores and a Chinese supermarket chain in central Hunan province.

China's government said late last year it had approved initial production licences for genetically modified strains of rice and corn, but that commercial cultivation required further approval. China has so far not approved imports of such grain.

The Greenpeace study - conducted last October and November in nine supermarkets in eight cities across the country - also found many stores were selling fruits and vegetables tainted by banned pesticides. The tainted produce included cowpeas, cucumbers, and strawberries, said the report, which was released on Monday.

Officials at the agriculture ministry and Wal-Mart could not immediately be reached by AFP for comment. However, the China Daily newspaper quoted a member of a bio-safety committee affiliated with the ministry, Huang Dafang, as casting doubt on the investigation.

Mr Huang did concede China needed tighter monitoring of GM foods.

- Sitiemilia , Singapore.