There is strong public opposition against genetically modified (GM) food products, in the European Union.

The European Commission said today that Irish port authorities intercepted a shipment from the United States of animal feed that contained genetically modified (GM) corn, which is banned in the European Union.

US officials tested the shipment for Bt10 corn before it left, "and notified to Irish authorities before the ship arrived" in Ireland, an EU Commission spokesman said.

About 290 tests for Bt10 have been conducted on EU-bound shipments, but this was the first time a test turned up positive.

The EU's six-year ban on biotech foods in general ended in May 2004 when the European Commission approved a new corn

developed by Swiss agrochemicals company Syngenta.

However, a ban against Bt10 remains in place. The EU claims that it contains a gene that can make that strain of corn resistant to ampicillin, a commonly used antibiotic.

EU rules require the Commission to prevent unauthorized genetically modified (GM) products from entering the European Union.

The issue of GM foods is a controversial one in Euroipe and concern about food safety is a hot political issue.