South Africa blamed for seed contamination

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, March 4 (UPI) -- The South African government was blamed for sending Kenya genetically modified seeds, which are banned in every African country but South Africa.

Greenpeace International found maize seed stocks in Kenya included a strain of genetically modified seed banned by several European countries over environmental concerns, the South African publication Business Day reported Tuesday.

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a U.S. company, distributed the seeds from its South African branch and the contamination came from a genetically modified variety of maize produced by the agricultural biotechnology firm Monsanto.

Mariam Mayet, the head of the African Center for Biosafety, said the contamination came from the packing facility but suggested the South African government was ultimately to blame.

A spokesman for Pioneer Hi-Bred, Jeff Johnson, told the Business Day that several international regulatory bodies, including the European Union, found the hybrids were as safe as other corn hybrids.

But Jan Vanaken of Greenpeace said that Pioneer Hi-Bred "may talk as long as they wish about approval in the EU but it is a fact five EU countries banned (the hybrid) on health and environmental grounds."