The European Commission (EC) has approved two genetically engineered (GE) crops – one for soyabean and one for corn/maize – for food and animal feed, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) wrote.
Following publication in the European Union’s (EU) Official Journal on 20 May, the authorisations remain valid for 10 years, according to the 3 June Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report.
The EC had given its approval to the two GE crops on 19 May, the report said, following a “comprehensive and stringent authorisation procedure”, which included a favourable scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Applicable to food and feed for import and processing, the approvals do not cover cultivation and are valid for 10 years, according to the report, with all products subject to the EU's strict labelling and traceability rules.