Traces of StarLink persist

[Guest guest]

Traces of StarLink persist

 

Three years after the StarLink corn controversy, traces of the corn—unapproved

for human consumption—are showing up in the nation’s corn supply, according to a

report this month from the San Jose Mercury News.

 

Federal testers found StarLink in more than 1 percent of samples submitted by

growers and grain handlers in the past year.

 

The news raises concerns—especially now that the U.S. is considering giving the

go-ahead to crops genetically engineered to produce pharmaceutical drugs and

vaccines—that the federal government is unable to guarantee the health of the

American public from genetically engineered crops.

 

The Mercury News reports that it is unclear how the StarLink corn mixed in with

the corn supply headed for human consumption. Some growers, the newspaper says,

may have sold their corn without identifying it as StarLink.

 

``The StarLink lesson is that contamination is to some extent irreversible,’’

said Doreen Stabinsky, a scientific adviser to Greenpeace, who has a Ph.D. in

genetics. ``Years later, you could still see it turning up in the food supply

and the grain supply.’’

 

Learn more about the StarLink fiasco here

 

Tutorial

StarLink fiasco increases pressure for regulation

 

The StarLink corn fiasco of 2000 represents one of the most embarrassing

oversights in the history of U.S. regulatory oversight of food.

 

In September 2000, scientists discovered StarLink biotech corn, a variety

unapproved for human consumption, in Kraft Foods Taco Bell taco shells. Kraft

recalled millions of dollars of shells. Since then, StarLink corn has been found

in as many as 300 different foods throughout the country, as more than 9 million

bushels of the corn were dumped into American grain elevators.

 

Aventis, the manufacturer of StarLink corn, sought approval for both animal and

human consumption of the corn in 1997. The EPA, though, said the corn could be

used only for animal feed. Approval for human consumption was not granted

because the corn shares characteristics with other foods that cause allergic

reactions. " It gave us enough doubt that we were not comfortable to put it into

the food supply, " said Susan Hazen, deputy director of the EPA's Office of

Pesticide Programs.

 

How did unapproved corn find its way into the food supply? Aventis says that it

may not have notified a number of its customers about restrictions on the use of

StarLink corn. Analysts estimate the StarLink corn recall ultimately will cost

Aventis between $68 million and $100 million.

 

" It's very clear that the emergence of biotechnology has brought about a whole

new set of regulatory challenges which the current regulatory structure is not

able to handle, " said Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), in late 2000. " In

the next session of Congress, there is going to be a push for labeling, for

safety testing, and potentially for some revision of the agencies'

responsibilities. "

 

Calls for reform are coming from some unexpected places. Shortly after the

StarLink disaster broke, Business Week, in a commentary, wrote: " Once again, it

seems the industry has hurt itself with its unyielding opposition to labeling or

special regulations for biotech foods….Biotech foods are new, they are

different, and they deserve special regulations. The industry should drop its

opposition to tougher regulations. "

 

Even the president of Monsanto's Argentina division, Carlos Popik, has announced

his support for labeling. He told reporters recently that " I think people have a

right to know what they're consuming. I believe the lion's share of their fears

will subside once that kind of information is made available. "

 

It's clear that the StarLink corn recalls and other worries about genetically

engineered foods are having an impact on the American public. In a November

survey of 1,210 adults, a Reuters/Zogby poll found that a majority of Americans

(54 percent) believe the recalls raise concerns about food safety, and one-third

said that farmers should not be allowed to grow biotech crops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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