TOKYO, June 16 — The Japanese agriculture ministry said on June 15 that it has suspended tenders and sales of Canadian wheat indefinitely after the discovery of genetically modified wheat in the exporting country.
This is the first case Tokyo suspended wheat imports from Canada.
Canada is Japan’s No. 2 wheat supplier. Last year, Japan imported 1.54 million metric tons of wheat, with Ottawa accounting for 30 percent of imports.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed that the wheat found was genetically modified and herbicide-tolerant.
Because GM wheat is not authorized for commercial use in Canada, the CFIA said in a June 14 statement that it is working “with partners at all levels to gather as much complete, accurate and credible information about this discovery as possible.”