Transgenic Corn Disallowed as More Tainted Taco Shells Turn Up
> RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, North Carolina, October 13, 2000
> (ENS) - A type of genetically engineered corn not approved for
> human consumption was voluntarily pulled from the entire agricultural
> market this week after a watchdog group detected the product in
> yet another brand of taco shells.
>
> Aventis CropScience agreed to cancel its license to sell the biotech
> corn, which is known as StarLink, after the coalition Genetically
> Engineered Food Alert announced that it had discovered the cornmeal
> in Safeway brand taco shells.
>
> Last month, the watchdog coalition Genetically Engineered Food Alert
> said it found StarLink corn in Taco Bell brand taco shells.
>
> Aventis consented to the remedy at the "strong urging" of the U.S.
> Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has approved StarLink
> for use only as an animal feed.
>
> The deal struck between Aventis and the EPA this week means that
> StarLink corn can no longer be planted for any agricultural purpose.
>
> "Today's agreement will ensure that in the future no new StarLink
> corn will be grown and none will find its way into the processed foods
> like taco shells," the EPA declared in a written statement. "The
> voluntary agreement represents far and away the fastest tool
> available to EPA for quickly removing StarLink corn from being planted
> for any agricultural purposes."
>
> This action will ensure the full protection of public health and
> continues customer confidence in the food supply," the EPA said.
>
> StarLink corn has not been approved for direct human consumption
> because of unresolved questions regarding its effect on human
> health. The corn, which is engineered to be toxic to insects, has also
> been found to be heat stable and resistant to stomach acids and
> enzymes, indicating that it could cause allergies in humans.
>
> Allergens can cause skin rashes, nausea, and respiratory problems. In
> severe cases, allergens can cause anaphylactic shock or death.
>
> But the EPA was quick to emphasize that there is no evidence that the
> consumption of StarLink will lead to any of those problems.
>
> "EPA does not have any evidence that food containing StarLink corn
> will cause any allergic reactions in people, and the agency believes
> that the risks, if any, are extremely low," the agency declared in its
> statement. "However, because Aventis was responsible for ensuring
> that StarLink corn only be used in animal feed, and that responsibility
> was clearly not met, today's action was necessary."
>
> According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),
> the suspension of StarLink sales could cost Aventis some $100
> million. The USDA last month agreed to buy up all of this year's
> StarLink crop and sell it for animal feed and other related uses after
> the substance was detected in Taco Bell brand taco shells.
>
> The Taco Bell products, manufactured by Kraft Foods, were
> voluntarily recalled from grocery store shelves on September 22. The
> U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially recalled the
> products ten days later under the provisions of a class II recall,
> which is defined as a "situation which the use of, exposure to, a
> violative product may cause temporary of medically reversible
> adverse health effects.
>
> Neither the voluntary or mandatory recall affected products sold at
> Taco Bell restaurants, although federal officials said they would test
> those foodstuffs as a precautionary measure.
>
> Safeway began pulling its brand name taco shells off store shelves
> Wednesday night. Customers who purchased the shells are being
> asked to return them to the store for a refund.
>
> Both Safeway and Kraft Foods used the same corn flour supplier for their
taco
> shells, the Azteca Milling Company of Plainview, Texas.
>
> Azteca is investigating the incidents and has reportedly implemented
> testing procedures to ensure that the genetically modified corn does
> not reach its mills.
>
> That is not good enough for Genetically Modified Food Alert, the
> watchdog coalition that prompted the recalls.
>
> Larry Bohlen, director of health and environment programs at coalition
> member organization Friends of the Earth, said that the incidents
> illustrate bigger problems with the government's regulatory
> procedures.
>
> "Two contamination incidents in one month show that the FDA is
> doing a miserable job protecting the American food supply," Bohlen
> said.
>
> The coalition has called on the FDA to test all corn based food
> products for the presence of Cry9C, the gene engineered into
> StarLink corn.
>
> Genetically Engineered Food Alert has also called on the FDA to
> conduct a thorough investigation into numerous reports of illness
> made to FDA and alleged to have been caused by consumption of
> contaminated taco shells.
>
> "The recall of Taco Bell taco shells distributed by Kraft and the
> recent finding of StarLink corn in Safeway products underscores the
> need for stronger government regulation over genetically engineered
> foods," said Philip Clapp, president of the National Environmental
> Trust. "While these genetically engineered ingredients continue to
> enter the market, the FDA refuses to mandate pre-market safety
> testing of genetically engineered ingredients or labeling for
> consumers' right to know."
>
> Aventis is a global corporate group with European roots in Germany
> and France. Aventis CropScience was formed in December 1999 from
> the combination of AgrEvo, the Hoechst/Schering joint venture, and
> the Rhône-Poulenc agriculture division. Their website can be found
> at: http://www2.aventis.com
>
> More information on the Genetically Engineered Food Alert coalition
> can be found at: http://www.gefoodalert.orghttp://www.gefoodalert.org
>
> http://www.aics.org/justice/camp.html
>