The United States Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have confirmed that LL601 poses no human health, food or feed safety or environmental concern.

Likewise the competent Food Standard Agency in Great Britain, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as well as the Dutch authorities have all issued public statements confirming the food safety of this rice.

On September 15, 2006 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also considered that the consumption of imported long grain rice containing trace levels of LL601 “is not likely to pose an imminent safety concern to humans or animals.”

The traces of LL601 which were identified in commercial rice samples in the USA contain a well-known protein, the so-called “PAT”-protein. In the European Union several products which contain this protein have already been approved or have been given positive EFSA scientific opinions.

The reason why LL601 was discovered to be present in commercial rice samples in the USA is not clear. The USDA is currently looking into the overall matter.

The Agricultural Center of the Louisiana State University – an important rice breeding station in the Southern U.S. which conducted some field research on LL601 in collaboration with Aventis CropScience – stated in a press release from August 31, 2006, that they have found trace amounts of LL601 in the 2003 foundation seed of one of their long-grain rice varieties.

Bayer CropScience is cooperating closely with the authorities and others in the rice industry and continues to provide scientific and technical know-how.

Farmers have filed lawsuits against our U.S.-affiliate Bayer CropScience LP in the meantime. Bayer CropScience believes that the company acted responsibly and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations in this matter and will vigorously defend itself against these claims. Due to pending litigation the company cannot comment further at this time.