New Delhi, Oct 20 (UNI) Only non-GMO rice is being exported to the world, the government clarified today.

‘India is exporting strictly non-GMO rice to World. The possibility of GMO contamination due to white rice exported by India is not possible,’ the government said in a statement.

The clarification came in the wake of media reports that food recall was linked to alleged GM rice from India.

‘It may be clarified that there is no commercial variety of GM rice in India, in fact the commercial GM cultivation of rice is banned in India. There is no question of export of GM rice from India. A particular incident which is reported through Rapid Alert by EU, the GMO contamination is suspected to have been found in the rice flour which was processed in the EU and they themselves are not sure of the exact source of the contaminant,’ the statement said.

The broken white rice exported from India, which was allegedly one of the possibilities, had passed through many hands before reaching the actual processors in the EU, it added.

The government said it could be a conspiracy to malign the image of India as a reliable supplier of quality rice to the world.

The experts in India both from Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) and Agricultural experts from IARI and other rice experts in India were, however, investigating the matter but re-confirming that commercial GM variety of rice is not grown in India, it said.(UNI)