No Controls on Frankenfood Imports

In a little-noticed audit report issued last month, the Agriculture Department's inspector general warned that unapproved genetically modified crops and livestock could easily make their way into the U.S. food supply because of the USDA's lack of import controls.

If that happens, the report warned, it could cause a scare and disrupt commerce.

The irony here is that most GMO plants have been developed within the United States under the federal regulatory system. Indeed, that is why the USDA hasn't imposed stricter controls over imports, according to the agency's response to the report.

But as the inspector general notes, other countries, many of them with loose restrictions on GMO development, are increasingly adding genetically modified crops to the global food chain.  

The federal government simply has no method of screening imports of livestock, and the methods for screening crops could quickly become inadequate as foreign exports of GMOs continue to rise, according to the report. Further, the USDA needs to monitor GMO development in foreign countries—something it doesn't do at all—the report said.

It's hard to get much attention for such warnings because the effects of GMOs on human health and the environment are mostly unknown.

But the report warned: "While the consequences of unapproved transgenic plants or animals entering the U.S. food supply are difficult to foresee, such an event could provoke health and environmental concerns and interfere with commerce."

In other words, we don't worry until there's a problem, but once we hear that Chinese frankenrice has entered our food chain, it could cause a panic, whether or not there is any indication that the rice is in any way harmful.

The USDA said it agreed with the inspector general's findings, which is easy to do when you're packing up your desk on your way to a new job. Tom Vilsack, the new agriculture secretary, will be the one to implement the necessary import controls.