USA
May 15, 2015

NGFA is reminding its members to guard against the presence of treated seed in commodity shipments intended for use in food or feed.

In a memo to NGFA, North American Export Grain Association (NAEGA) President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Martin and NAEGA Chairman Steve Smalley wrote that treated seeds in commodity shipments are a multi-commodity issue that warrants the attention of the entire supply chain. “Few concerns can be as damaging to market access and value as the presence of seed treatment compounds in commodities we export,” NAEGA wrote.

Separately, the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) has urged farmers who have leftover treated seed to contact their seed company or dealer to learn about their policies and how to properly dispose of such seed. ASTA said some seed companies accept returns of treated seeds or will help producers storing them until the next planting season.

In addition, ASTA and CropLife America created a “Guide to Seed Treatment Stewardship,” an industry-wide initiative to promote the safe handling and management of treated seed. The purpose of the guide is to give farmers and seed companies critical information and up-to-date guidelines for managing treated seed effectively to further minimize the risk of exposure to non-target organisms.

Treated seeds are identifiable by their unnatural color (e.g., blue, pink, red and green are common seed-treatment colors), and are intended for planting. Commercial seed labels for treated seeds are required to comply with both the Federal Seed Act and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) regulations concerning the labeling of treated seed (as found in the Federal Seed Act and 7 CFR Part 201). The most commonly used labeling for treated seed is “Treated with (name of substance)” and “Do not use for food, feed or oil purposes.”

Further, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deems commodity shipments in which treated seed is admixed to be adulterated within the meaning of the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. FDA also is authorized to take enforcement action against “processed food or feed … derived from a raw agricultural commodity that contains a pesticide residue that does not conform to an established tolerance or tolerance exemption.”  In addition, a joint memorandum of understanding developed between FDA and USDA’s Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) in 1997 obligated FGIS to report to FDA if 20 or more treated seeds are present in a 1,000-gram grain sample.

NGFA members are encouraged to communicate with their grain suppliers and producer-customers about this issue.