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Monsanto says it is cooperating fully with USDA's investigation into GMO wheat matter in Montana

Janell Thomas, E-Content Editor

September 30, 2014

2 Min Read

A year after GMO wheat was discovered on a farm in Oregon, the USDA last week said it has identified another instance of unauthorized GMO wheat, this time on a research facility managed by Montana State University.

According to USDA, the Montana and Oregon instances are not related, though both varieties were resistant to Monsanto's glyphosate product, Roundup.

GMO wheat has been studied in the U.S., but never approved for the commercial market.

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In a statement, Monsanto said the Montana GMO wheat was discovered during monitoring processes as GMO wheat trials had previously been conducted on the research site. MSU contacted Monsanto, the company said, and when the presence of GMO wheat was affirmed, the university and the company contacted USDA.

Related: USDA Investigating Unapproved GMO Wheat Found Growing In Montana

 USDA said Friday that the wheat has been contained and none of it has entered commerce. MSU and Monsanto are cooperating fully with USDA’s investigation of the matter, the company said.

"USDA is managing this as a local compliance matter associated with a closed out regulated field trial, and view it as unrelated and very different from the discovery of Roundup Ready Wheat in a commercial wheat farmer’s field in Oregon last year," the statement noted.

For more on the GMO wheat discovery in Oregon, follow coverage on Farm Progress:
May 29, 2013: USDA Identifies GE Glyphosate-Resistant Volunteer Wheat
May 31, 2013: GE Wheat Investigation Will Take Time, USDA Says
June 5, 2013: GMO Wheat Discovery Yields Lawsuit
June 6, 2013: Monsanto Not Ruling Out 'Purposeful' Release of GE Wheat
June 17, 2013: USDA GE Wheat Investigation Continues
June 19, 2013: U.S. Representative Wants Answers on GE Wheat
June 24, 2013: Monsanto Says GM Wheat Release Remains 'Suspicious'

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