Bradford supermarket chain Morrisons has removed packets of rice from its shelves after an environmental group claimed they had been genetically modified.

The Friends of the Earth group allegedly found genetically modified (GM) rice at a Morrisons supermarket in Leeds as part of an independent investigation in British supermarkets.

The environmental body claims its tests on the rice uncovered a DNA sequence which is only found in products which have been genetically tampered with.

It is illegal to sell GM rice products in the Britain or anywhere else in the European Union.

Friends of the Earth immediately wrote to Marc Bolland, Morrisons' new chief-executive, bringing their findings to his attention.

Morrisons today confirmed it had withdrawn 500g packets of American Long Grain Rice and 1kg packets with best before dates of May 2008 and of American Long Grain Brown Rice with best before dates of July 2008 from its shelves.

A spokesman for the Thornbury-based supermarket chain said: "Based on information received about tests carried out by Friends of the Earth we have withdrawn the two products implicated as a precautionary measure."

Friends of the Earth launched the investigation after US authorities claimed GM materials in rice products designed for exportation had led to products becoming widely contaminated.

This led to the EU passing legislation banning the sale of GM rice as a precautionary measure.

Friends of the Earth has criticised the Food Standards Agency, Britain's food safety watchdog, for failing to detect the purportedly illegal products and has announced it is to bring a judicial review against it.

Friends of the Earth's Head of Legal, Phil Michaels, said: "The Food Standards Agency's response to this GM contamination incident is scandalous and, we believe, unlawful.

"It has failed to act adequately to prevent illegal GM rice reaching our plates and has failed to provide accurate advice and information as it is required to do by law.

"Instead it has concentrated on playing down the seriousness of the issue and minimising the effect on business.

"We have now resorted to legal action to force the FSA to do its job properly and to ensure adequate steps are taken to protect UK consumers from illegal GM-contaminated food."

A spokesman for the Food Standards Agency said retailers were responsible for ensuring the food they sold complied with the law.

e-mail: mark.casci@bradford.newsquest.co.uk