Genetically Modified Wheat Discovered in Washington State Field
Genetically modified glyphosate-resistant wheat plants have been found in an unplanted field in Washington State, according to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
APHIS states that no GM varieties of wheat have been approved for production or sale in the U.S. as of this time, and that there is no evidence that the wheat in question has entered the food supply.
Discoveries of errant GM wheat being found in fields in the Northwest date back to a 2013 discovery in an Oregon field, followed by GM wheat being found in Montana in 2014, Washington State in 2016, and in Alberta Canada last year.
Since these discoveries, the USDA has tightened its regulations and oversight of GM wheat trials, requiring developers to apply for a permit to conduct field trials as of January 1, 2016.
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