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Banned Biotech Corn Variety Still Showing Up in U.S. Food Supplies

 

Genetically engineered StarLink corn is still contaminating U.S. food

supplies, three years after it was pulled from the market. StarLink,

which produces its own pesticide, was approved in 1998 -- but only

for use in animal feed or industrial processes because of concerns

that it might cause severe allergic reactions in humans. In 2000,

though, it was found to have made its way into numerous consumer

products, ranging from taco shells to muffin mixes, so the U.S.

government rescinded its approval. Unfortunately, that didn't quite

do the trick. The feds continue to find traces of StarLink in corn

supplies; more than 1 percent of samples tested in the past 12 months

revealed StarLink contamination. The lingering modified genes are

bolstering fears that the U.S. government is simply not equipped to

effectively regulate and control the spread of genetically engineered

crops -- a particularly worrisome notion now that field tests are

being conducted on crops that produce vaccines, medicines, and

industrial chemicals.

 

straight to the source: The Mercury News, Paul Jacobs, 01 Dec 2003

<http://www.gristmagazine.com/forward.pl?forward_id=1774>