Chronology of the Exposé of Genetically Engineered Corn Not Approved for Human Consumption
prepared by Friends of the Earth
Sept. 18, 2000 Washington Post: “BIOTECH CRITICS CITE UNAPPROVED CORN IN TACO SHELLS”
“A form of biotech corn not allowed in food because of concerns it could trigger allergies has been detected in grocery store Taco Bell taco shells, a coalition of biotech critics will report on Tuesday.”
…“This corn is absolutely not supposed to be in our food, but an independent lab found it there anyway, said Larry Bohlen of Friends of the Earth, a member of the coalition. “This shows a major regulatory failure and raises some real human health concerns.”
[Friends of the Earth is at www.foe.org. The coalition is Genetically Engineered Food
Alert, www.gefoodalert.org]
Story ran on CBS, CNN, ABC, FOX. Later in India, China, Australia, Europe, South America.
Sept 19 Rep. Dennis Kucinich, ranking Democrat on the House Regulatory Affairs
Committee speaks on the floor of the House calling for mandatory labeling and safety
testing of GE foods. That night, Kucinich debates Robert Novak on CNN'sCrossfire.
Sept. 21 National Public Radio “EPA TO RELEASE REPORT ON THE STATUS OF GENETICALLY ALTERED CROPS GROWN IN THE US; CONTROVERSY CONTINUING OVER ONE TYPE OF GENETICALLY ALTERED CORN”
The Environmental Protection Agency releases a report today which concludes that the genetically engineered crops grown in the US are not a threat to public health or the environment. But critics say there's evidence that one type of genetically altered corn used in food production could be harmful. NPR's John Nielsen reports…
Environmentalists like Bohlen have long suspected that federal regulators are underestimating the risks posed by genetically engineered crops. By most accounts, those suspicions began growing rapidly about a year ago when it was proven that pollen from some kinds of modified corn crops were killing monarch butterflies in laboratory settings.
Sept. 22 Washington Post: “KRAFT RECALLS MILLIONS OF TACO SHELLS”
“I also feel the FDA has failed the American public in safeguarding our food against engineered products rushed to market without adequate safety and environmental testing,” said Larry Bohlen.
Kraft called for the government to tighten regulation of engineered plants…Kraft also called for discontinuing “partial approvals in advances of plant biotechnology.” In addition, the company said it believed genetically modified products should not be approved before there is a testing procedure in place to identify the presence of that genetically modified material.
Sept. 25 Los Angeles Times editorial “SHARPER OVERSIGHT FOR BIOFOODS”
“The costly recall of taco shells points up the need for smarter FDA rules on the production and marketing of genetically modified foods...
…the Kraft recall is one illustration of the need to establish public confidence. Another is a study published earlier this month in the journal Science, in which British researchers suggested that a new biotech crop engineered to kill weeds could starve the skylark; this tuneful bird, beloved in English poetry, eats mainly weed seeds.”
Sept. 26 Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee holds emergency hearing on the safety of GE foods. Calls FDA in to testify.
"…what do our consumers have to say when the FDA is not there and the EPA is not there, Agriculture's not there, but Friends of the Earth find this out? What kind of regulatory scheme is that?" - U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Sept. 27 Washington Post: “BIOTECH FIRM SUSPENDS SALE OF CORN SEEDS AFTER RECALL”
Sept. 30 Washington Post: “AVENTIS WILL BUY BACK ENGINEERED CORN CROP”
Oct. 2 Time Magazine: “TEMPEST IN A TACO SHELL”
“It was the first recall of what the industry calls GM food--and others call Frankenfood. Critics have long warned that once bioengineered genes get into any part of the food chains there's no telling when they'll turn up on our plates.”
Oct. 3 Washington Post: “FDA WILL WIDEN PROBE OF BIOTECH CORN MISUSE”
Oct. 10 New York Times: FoE letter to editor published
“One farmer [interviewed by the NYTimes] went so far as to say that other countries would 'love to have those taco shells.' But sending them corn not approved for human consumption would be the furthest thing from feeding the world.”
Oct. 12 Washington Post: “SAFEWAY INC. RECALLS ITS TACO SHELLS”
"Two contamination incidents in one month show that the FDA is doing a miserable job
protecting the American food supply," said Bohlen of Friends of the Earth.
Oct. 13 Los Angeles Times: “EPA TO REVOKE STARLINK CORN REGISTRATION TO END PLANTING”
“Since the checks and balances [the growers] had in place and the assurances didn't work out, it would take a very high hurdle for us to ever approve a product like this again,” says Stephen Johnson, the EPA's deputy assistant administrator for pesticides.
Oct. 14 Washington Post: “BIOTECH CORN RECALL SPREADS TO MORE PRODUCTS”
Oct. 17 New York Times: “FARMERS CITE SCARCE DATA IN CORN MIXING”
Some farmers who planted a variety of bioengineered corn unapproved for human consumption say they were not adequately warned about restrictions on how it was to be planted, stored and sold, despite suppliers' claims to have done so.
Farmers in several Midwestern states have said they were not told that the corn, known as StarLink, must be kept separate from other crops until reports emerged last month that it had been detected in a brand of taco shells…
"The farmers calling in, to a man, said they had never been told it wasn't fit for human consumption," said Kenneth Root, host of "Agritalk," a program carried on many rural radio stations…
"We never found out until two weeks ago," said Fred Rosenberger, who grew 40 acres of StarLink corn in Rineyville, Ky., this year. Mr. Rosenberger said that because he stored the corn before realizing that it should be segregated, some 8,000 bushels of StarLink corn were mixed in with about 42,000 bushels of other varieties…
"I'm sick of it," Mr. Smith said, vowing to never plant another Aventis product.
Oct. 21 Washington Post: “CORN WOES PROMPT KELLOGG PLANT TO SHUT DOWN”
Oct. 22 The Baltimore Sun: “UNAPPROVED GENE-MODIFIED CORNIN FOOD IS SETBACK FOR BIOTECH FIRMS”
Oct. 24 Reuters: “EUROPEAN COMMISSION QUESTIONS IF US BIOTECH FOOD REGULATIONS ADEQUATE”
Oct. 26 The Oregonian “WESTERN FAMILY RECALLS PRODUCTS WITH ALTERED CORN”
“The product, found on the West Coast, further illustrates the nationwide extent of the
contamination,” said Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety.
Oct. 26 Reuters: “STARLINK COSTS ADM 'TENS OF THOUSANDS' [PER DAY]”
Oct. 26 New York Times: “GROUP SAYS BIOENGINEERED CORN DETECTED IN JAPAN”
Oct. 26 Reuters: “WHITE HOUSE SCRAMBLES TO ADDRESS JAPAN'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF ITS IMPORTED U.S. GRAIN BEING CONTAMINATED”
Oct. 26 AP Wire: “TEMPORARY BIOTECH CORN OK SOUGHT”
“With unapproved biotech corn already showing up in the food supply, the government was asked Wednesday to temporarily allow its use for human consumption. The industry said the move was urgently needed to head off further recalls and plant shutdowns.
The concern is that some people might be allergic to food containing gene-altered corn. But the corn's developer, Aventis CropScience of Research Triangle Park, N.C., said data it submitted Wednesday show there is 'no potential' for the corn, known as StarLink, to affect people who currently suffer from food allergies.”
Oct. 27 Wall Street Journal: “AVENTIS IS CRITICIZED OVER BIOTECH CORN”
Federal officials blamed the unauthorized appearance of genetically engineered corn in the food supply solely on its manufacturer - Aventis SA of France.
The company, which designed Starlink corn to be toxic to insect pests, failed in its responsibility for segregating Starlink from breeds of corn that might be eaten by humans, officials from the EPA and USDA said yesterday. The department is still trying to locate about 1.2 million bushels of the 80 million bushels of Starlink planted for the 2000 season.
Oct. 28 Des Moines Register: 50% OF CORN MAY BE IMPURE - PROBLEM COULD COST 'HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS'
As much as half of all corn in Iowa could be contaminated with Starlink. It could cost farmers and elevators "hundreds of millions of dollars," said Ed Beaman, executive vice president of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa
Oct. 30 Wall Street Journal: “JAPAN ASKS THAT IMPORTS OF CORN BE STARLINK-FREE”
Japan's Agriculture Ministry, in a move that poses problems for the U.S. grain industry, asked visiting U.S. government officials to make sure that corn that includes genetically modified Starlink corn isn't shipped to Japan.
Oct. 31 Bloomberg News: “USDA TO OFFER $300 MLN IN SUBSIDIES TO SPUR ETHANOL PRODUCTION”
(This is a fat subsidy to bail out Aventis. Starlink can be used as animal feel and for industrial purposes.)
Nov. 3 Reuters: “ANGER IN IOWA OVER GENE-ALTERED CORN CONTROVERSY”
“PRAIRIE CITY, Iowa - Rich Bishop wants his money back, all $35,000 he suffered in losses when an unapproved gene-altered corn turned up unwelcome at his grain elevator in this quiet town in the pastoral heartland of Iowa… 'I have been hammered by this. I don't think there has been a larger issue to affect farmers in the last several decades,' Bishop told Reuters.
“Bishop's problems began last month when 14 of 49 railcars he shipped to a food processing company in Illinois, each car containing 3,500 bushels of corn, were found to be tainted with StarLink. 'Aventis is going to have to pay up for this because they have assured the [EPA] that they will take care of problems arising from StarLink,' he said.”
Nov. 3 Washington Post: “BIOTECH CORN RECALL EXPANDS IN STORES, RESTAURANTS”
About 300 varieties of taco shells, tortillas, and snack chips made by Mission Foods were recalled. The list includes products sold through Applebee's and, Wendy's restaurants and grocers Food Lion, Albertson's and Walmart.
Nov. 3 Wall Street Journal: “STARLINK CORN RECALL MAY PROVE COSTLY”
“The recall of StarLink genetically modified corn could cost companies all along the food chain hundreds of millions of dollars as they attempt to find, retrieve and replace products that used the corn…
French pharmaceutical concern Aventis estimates that it will spend from $100 million to $1 billion on the 25 cents-per-bushel "service fee" to buy the StarLink crop back from growers.”
Nov. 6 Reuters: “MANY AMERICANS SAY STOP PLANTING GENE-ALTERED CROPS”
A majority of Americans believe recent recalls of foods containing genetically modified ingredients raise concerns about US food safety, and a third said farmers should not be allowed to grow gene-altered crops, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Friday. The survey found 54.4 percent of respondents concerned about the recalls because it raised questions about the food supply. Nearly 60 percent of women surveyed expressed concern.
Nov. 6 BusinessWeek: “COMMENTARY: AFTER TACO BELL: CAN BIOTECH LEARN ITS LESSON?”
“Biotech foods are new, they are different, and they deserve special regulations. The industry should drop its opposition to tougher regulations.”
Nov. 6 Reuters: “MONSANTO [CORN IN] UK TACO SHELLS UNDER INVESTIGATION”
Life sciences company Monsanto Co. on Monday challenged environmental group Friends of the Earth to reveal evidence backing its claim that tortilla chips in British supermarkets contained corn varieties produced by the company that are not approved for sale in Europe.
"Right now these are just allegations made by an organisation that has made allegations of this type in the past in a number of countries around the world where they have proven to be false," [Monsanto] spokeswoman Scarlett Foster said.
"More importantly, Friends of the Earth should share their material. And this, of course, has been the pattern that while they are willing to make allegations they are unwilling to share any of their material not only with the companies they are making allegations about but even with regulatory agencies," she told Reuters. (see rebuttal, below)
Nov. 7 Reuters: “US GREEN GROUP DISPUTES MONSANTO BIO-CORN CRITICISM”
"Contrary to falsehoods spread by Monsanto, Friends of the Earth made test results and samples available to the U.S. government," Bohlen said. "The tests that led to the Kraft taco shell recall were independently confirmed by Kraft and by the Food and Drug Administration.”
Nov. 7 New York Times: “GROUP REPORTS GENETIC CORN IN EUROPEAN FOOD”
The environmental group, Friends of the Earth, said yesterday that tests it commissioned had detected a bioengineered corn variety called Roundup Ready, made by Monsanto, in four brands of torilla chips sold in Britain and Denmark. [The corn is unapproved for human consumption in Europe.]
Nov. 7 Reuters “MONSANTO GROWTH SEEN CURBED BY AG BIOTECH FUROR”
Equity analyst Sano Shimoda, president of BioScience Securities Inc., was quoted as saying, "It's setting back the industry in terms of commercial growth. Monsanto and a number of companies involved in agricultural technology were expected to create tremendous growth and profitability. The valuations of all those companies have come tumbling down."
Nov. 8 Reuters: “IOWA LEGISLATOR - FARMER CRIES FOUL OVER STARLINK”
Republican chairman of the Iowa House agricultural committee, Ralph Klemme said yesterday he was not fully informed of the restrictions in growing the corn. Klemme said he would not have grown StarLink corn had he known that other corn varieties should not be grown within a 660-foot "buffer zone" to avoid cross pollination. "There's too much danger of cross pollination.
Nov. 10 Reuters: “KOREA FINDS STARLINK, ASKS U.S. TO STOP SHIPMENTS OF CONTAMINATED CORN”
The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) said on Friday it had recalled 14,528 kilogrammes of tortillas contaminated by StarLink corn.
Nov. 14 Reuters: “EPA SAYS UNCONVINCED ON STARLINK BIO-CORN SAFETY”
“New scientific data submitted by the maker of StarLink corn does not dispel government scientists' concerns that the gene-altered crop may cause allergic reactions in humans, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Monday…”
"The EPA still doesn't know whether StarLink is an allergen," said Larry Bohlen, a spokesman for the coalition. "Aventis has failed to prove that StarLink does no harm to health. The agency said that Aventis makes a faulty comparison in saying that the StarLink protein level has to be as high as the peanut protein level to cause an allergy."
Nov. 15 Reuters: “AVENTIS TO SELL AGCHEMS AND FOCUS ON DRUGS”
“The business … has been tarnished by recent controversy over its StarLink genetically modified
maize, but could be worth some six billion euros ($5.14 billion), analysts estimated...”
“David Beadle, analyst at UBS Warburg, said he had recently cut his valuation on Aventis CropScience to six times Enterprise Value/EBITDA, from nine times previously, reflecting the poor valuations achieved by Syngenta and U.S. firm Monsanto Co. That would imply a price just under six billion euros.”
Nov. 15 Daily Report for Executives: “POPE EXPRESSES OPPOSITION TO GMO'S, CITES NEED FOR 'THE RESPECT OF NATURE”
“In a call that could have an impact on farming techniques in predominantly Catholic parts of the developing world, Pope John Paul II said that using genetically modified organisms to increase production was contrary to God's will…”
“…the Pope told them and their colleagues worldwide to 'resist the temptation of high productivity and profit that work to the detriment of the respect of nature.' The pontiff added that 'when (farmers) forget this basic principle and become tyrants of the earth rather than its custodians ... sooner or later the earth rebels.'
“Furthermore, the Pope said, if modern farming techniques 'don't reconcile themselves with the simple language of nature in a healthy balance, the life of man will run ever greater risks, of which already we are seeing worrying signs.'”
Nov. 16 Reuters: “US EXPORTS HURT BY STARLINK BIO-CORN CHAOS”
“American corn exports are feeling a backlash from overseas buyers who fear shipments may be contaminated with an unapproved variety of biotech corn, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said
Thursday…“
“USDA issued a weekly report showing U.S. corn exports were 39 percent below the four-week average. For the latest week, American corn exports were 517,700 tonnes, far below market expectations of 550,000 to 750,000 tonnes.”
Nov. 20 Wall Street Journal “COMPANIES - GRAIN PROCESSORS APPLY NEW PRESSURE TO BIOTECH INDUSTRY”
“U.S. Farmers Get Warnings Against Modification of Crops”
“Bruised by recalls of food containing Starlink corn, some major grain processors are discouraging farmers in the midwestern U.S. from raising some other types of bio-engineered crops.”
Nov. 20 letter to FDA by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)
“The increasingly broad set of problems associated with StarLink corn has certainly exacerbated the level of public concern. A review of StarLink's regulatory history by my staff has revealed a number of
serious questions regarding the conditional approval of StarLink corn for non-human use.”
< http://www.senate.gov/~durbin/PressReleases/henney.htm>
Nov. 22 Washington Post: “BIOTECH CORN PROTEIN FOUND IN 2ND VARIETY”
“The genetically engineered protein that caused massive recalls of taco shells and other corn products has been found in a second variety of corn, raising questions about how it got there and how much additional corn may have been contaminated…”
“Finding the Cry9C protein in another variety of corn raises new questions about how carefully the biotechnology industry is producing and distributing biotech products. It also raises the possibility that the spread of the gene from StarLink to another hybrid was caused by "gene flow"-the process by which genetic material from one plant is naturally transmitted to others in the field.”
Nov. 27 Reuters: “U.S. BIO-CROP GIANT SAYS TO HEED CRITICS”
“The five-part pledge presented by [Monsanto CEO, Hendrik] Verfaillie calls for steps that include creation of an external Biotechnology Advisory Council to discuss biotech issues, sharing Monsanto research with universities, supporting a requirement for firms to notify U.S. regulators about plans to market a biotech product, seeking global standards on biotech seed, grain and food products, and selling only grain products approved as human food and livestock feed.”
“The St. Louis-based company also promises not to use 'genes taken from animal or human sources in Our agricultural products intended for food or feed.'”
“Monsanto also would launch new bio-crops in the United States only if they have U.S. and Japanese approval for animal feed and human food. Europe would be included as soon as it establishes a new regulatory system.”
Nov. 29 Washington Post: “44 CLAIM ILLNESS WAS CAUSED BY BIOTECH CORN IN FOOD”
“Forty-four Americans have complained that they became ill after eating foods containing a genetically engineered type of corn approved only for animal consumption, but investigators may never be able to pinpoint whether the modified maize was to blame, federal officials said yesterday. Scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said they are investigating the claims that the corn, known as StarLink, might have caused rashes, diarrhea, vomiting, itching and life-threatening anaphylactic shock.”
Dec. 4 Business Wire: “COHEN, MILSTEIN, HAUSFELD & TOLL, PLLC, FILES CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST AVENTIS CROP SCIENCE USA HOLDING, INC.”
“Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll, PLLC, together with five other class action firms, filed suit Dec. 1 against Aventis Crop Science USA Holding, Inc. ('Aventis') on behalf of a nationwide class of farmers concerning the genetically modified corn known as 'StarLink'...
The lawsuit, which seeks class action status on behalf of all United States farmers who were non-StarLink farmers in 2000, alleges that Aventis failed to act as outlined in the EPA registration for StarLink corn and failed to take other precautions to prevent StarLink corn from entering the human food supply chain. As a result, the suit claims, there has been widespread contamination of the Unites States corn crop with StarLink, which has in turn resulted in a loss of export and domestic markets for Unites States corn and a depression in United States corn prices.”
Dec. 5 AP Wire: “SCIENTISTS URGE BIOTECH CORN STUDY”
“A variety of gene-altered corn shows a ``medium likelihood'' of causing allergic reactions, but so little is in the food supply that consumers are unlikely to have developed sensitivities to it, a panel of scientists told the government Tuesday.
The panel that advises the Environmental Protection Agency said more research on the biotech corn is needed and urged the government to find out whether the corn was the cause of allergic reactions that have been reported to the Food and Drug Administration.”
Dec. 7 USAToday editorial: “REJECT GENE-ALTERED CORN”
“Aventis agreed to keep its 'Frankencorn' out of the food supply. For whatever reason, it failed. Now it seeks after-the-fact permission for that violation. To this, the answer is easy. Both as a matter of science and regulatory integrity, the correct response is 'no.'”
Dec. 11 New York Times: “GENE-ALTERED CORN CHANGES DYNAMICS OF GRAIN INDUSTRY”
“Grain processors are warning farmers about next year's harvest, with Archer
Daniels running radio commercials emphasizing that its plants will not
accept genetically altered crops that do not have worldwide approval. And
some farmers are questioning whether to plant even varieties that have been
approved for human consumption...”
“StarLink has definitely set back the biotech industry, maybe five years,” said Lewis W. Batchelder, a senior vice president at Archer Daniels…”
Dec. 24 The Des Moines Register: “STARLINK, MAYTAG, NASDAQ: THE REGISTER'S TOP 10 BUSINESS STORIES OF 2000”
“The havoc wrecked by StarLink corn in the nation's No. 1 corn growing state makes the StarLink story Iowa's top business story of the year.”
Dec. 31 The Washington Post Magazine: “RECOUNTING 2000”
(StarLink corn humor by Dave Barry)
“In another consumer development, Kraft Foods voluntarily recalls millions of taco shells after discovering that some of them contain genetically altered corn. A Kraft spokesperson stresses that the tacos are 'perfectly safe,' provided that they 'are handled properly' and 'never allowed near children.'
In consumer news, Kraft Foods reports that a genetically altered corn plant has escaped from its laboratories. A Kraft spokesperson warns that the plant should be considered 'eared and dangerous.'
Kraft Foods reports that the genetically altered corn plant has turned up in Nebraska, where it has taken over an entire farm, barricading itself inside a silo protected by a cadre of vicious and extremely loyal soybeans. The corn plant has issued a series of demands, among them that it be addressed
as 'Colonel.'"
Jan. 2001 Discover magazine: “THE YEAR IN SCIENCE: MORE THAN 50 OF THE YEAR'S TOP DISCOVERIES”
Subtitle in overview: “BRAVE NEW TACOS”
“A strain of Bt corn called StarLink, approved only for animal consumption, cropped up in Kraft Taco Bell taco shells…”
“From the other side of the world there was encouraging news: A revival in China of a time-honored practice challenged the wisdom that there is no alternative to GM crops. Farmers in Yunnan Province adopted a simple change [multi-cropping]… nearly eliminating rice blast, the greatest threat to this vital crop.”
Jan. 8, 2001 AP Wire: “GOVT. WANTS MORE BIOTECH CORN TESTS”
“WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government is asking seed companies and grain millers to test for a gene-altered variety of corn that was discovered in taco shells and other products last fall without being
approved for food use.
Although many millers already are testing for StarLink corn, Food and Drug Administration guidelines will require more extensive sampling than processors have been doing, an industry spokeswoman said Monday.
The Agriculture Department has issued similar guidelines to test corn seed for StarLink contamination before it is sold to farmers for spring planting.”
Jan. 9, 2001 Reuters: “USA: OK BIOSEEDS FOR HUMANS, ANIMALS AT SAME TIME - U.S. FARM GROUP”
“ORLANDO, Fla. Jan 9 (Reuters) - Regulators should have a single approval process for both animals and humans when evaluating bioseeds to prevent massive recalls like the one related to StarLink genetically altered corn, the largest U.S. farm group said on Tuesday.
But at its annual meeting, the American Farm Bureau Federation rejected the idea the seeds should not be sold until they were approved worldwide. Some U.S. export customers, such as Europe and Japan, refused to accept biocorn like StarLink.
The policy on genetically enhanced seeds was adopted by delegates in response to the continuing turmoil over StarLink corn that has turned up in human food supplies...”
“Delegates…also called for tags on seed bags to guarantee seed purity. 'We will also support legislation which allows producers to recover all damages in those instances where the seed does not conform to the purity indicated on the seed tag,' the new policy statement said.
'Adequate and accurate information on acceptable markets, and marketing and planting restrictions, must be provided in writing to producers prior to the time they purchase the original input product.'
An Illinois delegate said fear of StarLink contamination of corn shipments created 'an absolute fiasco.' Some export markets, notably Japan and Europe, would not accept any shipments with even a smidgen of StarLink corn in them.”
Jan. 12, 2001 AP Wire: “BIOTECH CORN FOUND IN BREWING PRODUCT”
“WASHINGTON (AP) - A variety of biotech corn that spawned nationwide recalls of taco shells has since been found by government scientists in a corn product intended for the brewing industry, but in no other foods or ingredients.
The finding by the Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites) was disclosed in a letter released Friday by Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill.”
Jan. 28, 2001 THE FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM: “HORN OF PLENTY OR 'FRANKENFOODS'?: GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS DEBATE PITS PROMISE OF SCIENCE VS. FEAR OF UNKNOWN”
“Analysts such as Sano Shimoda of BioScience Securities say StarLink has had a global ripple effect, slowing down the introduction of new transgenic products, undermining investor support and prompting new regulations.”
Feb. 2, 2001 Reuters: “JAPAN FARM MINISTRY FINDS STARLINK TRACES IN FEED”
“Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said on Friday it found traces of unapproved StarLink biotech corn in more than half of the samples it had taken from U.S. corn imported for animal feed. The announcement comes a day after the Consumers Union of Japan said it had found the gene-altered corn in one of 14 food products…
The ministry reported the results after carrying out its own safety tests on animal feed, including StarLink corn, from November 9 to December 27.”
Feb. 19, 2001 Fortune Magazine: “REAPING A BIOTECH BLUNDER: JUST ABOUT EVERYBODY IGNORED THE SAFETY RULES ON A KIND OF BIOTECH CORN CALLED STARLINK. LUCKILY, NO ONE DIED FROM EATING IT. BUT WHAT IF SOMEONE HAD?”
“Since it caused no serious illnesses, Starlink will probably be a footnote in future agronomy textbooks. In reality, though, this was a disturbingly close brush with disaster. Starlink was probably circulating in the food supply for a year before it was found. If it had been slow acting but truly dangerous, like mad cow disease, the damage could have been enormous. Critical links in the food chain--from Aventis and Garst to thousands of small farmers--turned out to be either unconcerned about or oblivious to what they were selling and growing.”
Mar. 2, 2001 The Des Moines Register: “AVOID STARLINK, FARMERS TOLD”
“Representatives of several seed companies met Thursday with U.S. Department of Agriculture offcials and said that some of the corn seed they were about to deliver for spring planting contained traces of StarLink…
Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said in a statement issued after the meeting that seed corn companies and their sales representatives 'must be accountable for the products they market to farmers and document that the seed theey sell does not contain traces of the StarLink protein.'”
Mar. 8, 2001 The Washington Post: “U.S. WILL BUY BACK CORN SEED: FIRMS TO BE COMPENSATED FOR BATCHES MIXED WITH BIOTECH VARIETY”
“The Agriculture Department will spend up to $ 20 million this year to compensate seed companies for corn mixed with an unapproved genetically modified variety -- the first direct federal bailout of food producers harmed by biotechnology.”
“Experts said the StarLink protein was most likely bred inadvertently into the seed corn through the drift of pollen from other cornfields.”
“'There is no way the taxpayers should bail out Aventis for the genetic pollution they created,' said Larry Bohlen of Friends of the Earth…”
Mar. 9, 2001 Reuters: “BRAZIL TO EXPORT CORN FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1982-USDA”
“Brazil was expected to become a net corn exporter for the first time since 1982 as foreign buyers turn their backs on the United States amid the StarLink bio-corn controversy, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Friday.”
Mar. 9, 2001 Chicago Tribune: DISCOVERY OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED CORN, WHICH IS BANNED FOR HUMAN USE, IN A BRAND OF CORN DOGS HAS GROWERS AND PROCESSORS FEARING FOREIGN CUSTOMERS MAY SLASH IMPORTS”
“The newest discovery of StarLink corn, approved only for animal feed, came in Kellogg-made frozen corn dogs, the environmental group Greenpeace said Thursday. The corn dogs, sold under the Morningstar Farms label, were purchased at a Baltimore supermarket last month and tested positive for the modified corn, said the group, which opposes genetically engineered ingredients.”
“…the USDA cut its projection for 2001 U.S. corn exports on Thursday for the fourth time in the past four months amid the continuing StarLink flap. The agency is forecasting exports of 2 billion bushels, down from 2.05 billion bushels last month. Private agriculture analysts say the estimates may be reduced by another 50 million bushels in coming months.”
Mar. 15, 2001 The Washington Post: “BEWARE THE GENETIC GENIE” (letter to the editor)
“We are farmers who choose not to grow genetically engineered corn. Now it appears that our crop may not be safe from contamination by StarLink or any other varieties of bio-engineered corn, even though last year, the biotech industry swore up and down that genetically engineered plants could be easily contained and posed little risk to farmers who choose to raise organic or nonengineered crops.
The message this debacle sends should be clear: Biotech companies and federal regulators need to be a lot more careful with the genetic engineering genie -- because once it's out of the bottle, it's near impossible to stuff it back in.” PEGGY AND GEORGE NAYLOR Churdan, Iowa
Mar. 18, 2001 The Washington Post: “BIOTECH GRAIN IS IN 430 MILLION BUSHELS OF CORN, FIRM SAYS”
“More than 430 million bushels of corn in storage nationwide contain some of the genetically engineered variety that prompted a massive recall of corn products last fall, the company that developed it will report today…”
“…The 430 million-bushel estimate dwarfs the amount of corn reported earlier from the 2000 crop as containing StarLink in about 50 million bushels grown by farmers licensed to use it and 20 million bushels from neighboring fields.”
Mar. 19, 2001 The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C: “BIOTECH FIRM EXECUTIVE SAYS GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CORN IS HERE TO STAY”
“A top Aventis CropScience executive said Sunday that the food supply will never be rid of the new strain of corn that the company genetically engineered…”
“Now, Wichtrich [V.P. of Aventis] said, 'no matter how diligent our collective efforts are, we can never get to, or guarantee, 'zero.' ' Because the StarLink corn can never be cleaned out of the U.S. food supply, Wichtrich said, Aventis wants the Environmental Protection Agency to change its rules…”
“EPA should give Aventis an exception or revise its policy to tolerate a certain level of StarLink in food, he said. But Bohlen said 'Aventis is asking the government to legalize genetic pollution…'”
“Bohlen said EPA's answer to Aventis' plea for new rules will shape national policy on allowing genetically engineered crops into the food we eat.
'This,' he said, 'is a pivotal moment in the history of biotechnology.'"
Mar. 19, 2001 The Washington Post: “BIOTECH CORN IS TEST CASE FOR INDUSTRY: ENGINEERED FOOD'S FUTURE HINGES ON ALLERGY STUDY ”
“…health complaints about StarLink are the first lodged by consumers against an engineered food. If researchers determine the unsuspecting diners did have allergic reactions to a protein in the corn, then the already troubled world of agricultural biotechnology will suffer another damaging blow.”
Mar. 24, 2001 The Economist: “BIOCHIPS DOWN ON THE FARM”
“… tortillas, tacos and other maize-based foodstuffs had to be withdrawn from grocery shelves. Meanwhile, shipments of freshly harvested maize had to be tested and certified as safe--or else converted into animal feed. The cost to Aventis: an estimated $500m.”
Mar. 29, 2001 Lincoln Journal Star (Nebraska): “STARLINK PROTEIN FOUND IN OTHER CROPS”
“Now its telltale protein, still not ruled out as a cause of allergy attacks, is showing up in Nebraska-grown sweet corn and popcorn.
Larry Prentice, quality-control manager for the Nebraska Crop Improvement Association in Lincoln, confirms 'some contamination showing up from StarLink . . . in nonconventional field corn. It's showing up in things like popcorn and sweet corn.'"
Apr. 4, 2001 "STOP CONTAMINATED U.S. CORN EXPORTS" MORE THAN 100 GROUPS WORLDWIDE SAY TO PRESIDENT BUSH news release (coverage on CNN.com, Reuters, Agence France Press, EFE (Spain and Latin America), Rural Net Noticias (Latin America) and in newspapers in Japan, Brazil, Russia, France, Malaysia)
"The U.S. should not be exporting genetically contaminated food to other countries," said Ricardo Navarro, Chair of Friends of the Earth International and a resident of El Salvador. "If it is not approved for people to eat in the U.S. then it should not be sent elsewhere."
Apr. 16, 2001 CNNfn: MARKET CALL show “TOUGH CALL” debate
GUESTS: Dr. Lester Crawford, Larry Bohlen
Dr. Crawford: “…I think the current system of U.S. regulation, while adequate, probably needs to be evaluated from time to time as the new products come on the market... I think the environmental
regulations we need to continue to evaluate as new products come on the market, particularly things like genetic drift and pollen movement and so forth.”
Apr. 24, 2001 The Washington Post: “BIOTECH CORN FOUND IN VARIETY OF FOODS: FDA TESTING FOR POSSIBLE ALLERGIC REACTION”
Apr. 24, 2001 PBS Nova/Frontline Special: “HARVEST OF FEAR”
Two-hour documentary on genetically engineered foods, including details of StarLink discovery.
May 3, 2001 Boston Globe: "GENETICALLY ENGINEERED CORN APPEARS IN ONE-TENTH OF GRAIN TESTS"
“WASHINGTON--StarLink, the genetically engineered corn whose traces prompted the recall of hundreds of snack products last year, has turned up in nearly one-tenth of 110,000 grain tests performed by federal inspectors around the country since November, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says.”
“…StarLink was planted on just 0.4 percent of U.S. corn acres. But it tainted much greater acreage by mixing with other varieties through handling (up to a bushel of corn can remain in a combine after harvest) or by cross-pollinating with other varieties after being carried by insects, birds and wind.”
May 11, 2001 Reuters: “STARLINK ISSUE FUELS JAPAN OPPOSITION TO GM WHEAT”
“TOKYO - Controversy over StarLink biotech corn in Japan has not only dampened the nation's appetite for U.S. corn but has helped stoke opposition against genetically modified (GM) wheat, industry sources said yesterday.
June 14, 2001 L.A. Times: “TESTING FINDS NO LINK BETWEEN GENE-MODIFIED CORN, ILLNESSES”
”Government health officials said Wednesday they were unable to find any evidence that StarLink
corn caused an allergic reaction in people who reported illness after eating food containing the genetically modified corn.” (see July 28, 2001 news for reversal of this finding)
June 22, 2001 Reuters: “JAPAN'S SNACK RECALLS EXACERBATE BIOTECH FUSS”
“TOKYO, June 22 (Reuters) - Distrust over genetically modified (GM) foods in Japan deepened on Friday after the third recall in less than a month of snack products containing unapproved gene-spliced potato.”
"The potato snack recalls have the same basic problem as the StarLink corn does," said a senior trader with the food industry.
The recalls suggest that the only way to avoid unapproved GM products is to use other substitutes for corn or not buy corn from the United States, said another trading house trader.”
July 4, 2001 Washington Post: “ENGINEERED CORN FOUND IN WHITE TORTILLA CHIPS”
“StarLink corn, the genetically modified yellow variety whose presence in food products last fall
resulted in widespread recalls, has been found for the first time in a white corn product. The discovery
underscores the food industry's difficulties in keeping modified and conventional crops apart.
“...Last fall, many corn chip and tortilla makers switched to white corn -- which makes up less than 3 percent of the American corn market -- to reassure consumers concerned about the possible presence of StarLink in their tacos shells and corn chips. At the time, producers said the use of white corn eliminated the risk of inadvertently introducing StarLink into their products.”
“...The presence of StarLink in a white corn product illustrates how difficult it is to keep genetically modified crops from spreading. White corn is grown and distributed separately from yellow corn, and industry observers said there are no genetically modified varieties...The mixing, they said, could happen at processing plants, during transportation and through cross-pollination in fields.”
July 18, 2001 AP Wire: “WITNESS TELLS SCIENTISTS BIOTECH CORN TO BLAME FOR ALLERGIC REACTION”
“Scientists considering whether a variety of biotech corn should be allowed into the food supply heard from a Florida optometrist that he's allergic to the grain despite a negative government blood test.
Keith Finger showed the panel pictures of welts and rashes he says he suffered Sunday after he ate a mixture of StarLink corn and water. He says he earlier had allergic reactions to tortilla chips that tested positive for the corn.”
July 28, 2001 Washington Post: “EPA REJECTS BIOTECH CORN AS HUMAN FOOD; FEDERAL TESTS DO NOT ELIMINATE POSSIBILITY THAT IT COULD CAUSE ALLERGIC REACTIONS, AGENCY TOLD”
“The federal government's investigation into whether StarLink corn causes allergic reactions failed to establish that the genetically engineered corn was safe to eat, according to an expert panel convened by the Environmental Protection Agency.”
“... Based on the panel's recommendations, the EPA yesterday announced that it would continue its policy against permitting even trace amounts of StarLink in foods -- turning down a request to change that position from Aventis CropSciences, which developed the corn.”
“...Stephen Johnson, of the EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, said the agency had no choice but to turn down the Aventis application. 'Some of the world's leading experts on allergenicity and food safety told us there was not enough data to conclude with reasonable certainty that there was an acceptable level of [StarLink corn] that people could eat,' he said.”
“.. In addition, the panel said that "every attempt" should be made to further test two people who reported severe reactions and who have offered to undergo skin testing and to eat StarLink products under medical supervision.”
July 28, 2001 The New York Times: “E.P.A. REJECTS USE OF A GENE-ALTERED CORN IN HUMAN FOOD”
“...To try to clear up the uncertainty, the government tested the blood of 17 people who complained
of allergic reactions to StarLink. It found no evidence that any of them was allergic to the corn.”
“...But the E.P.A. advisory panel said the government testing, while reducing the probability that StarLink caused the reactions in those people, does not eliminate StarLink Cry9C protein as a potential cause of allergic symptoms.'
The panel, made up of 16 outside allergy or agricultural experts, said there were numerous inadequacies in the government testing and in the data submitted by Aventis: infants and children with multiple food allergies, who are most likely to be affected, were not tested; the allergy test looked for a reaction to bacterial Cry9C, not the protein made in corn; and the test for Cry9C in processed foods might be unreliable.”
Sept. 4, 2001 The New York Times: “ALTERED CORN SURFACED EARLIER”
“The government and the company that developed genetically modified StarLink corn had at least some indication that the corn might be entering the human food supply more than half a year before environmental advocates discovered it in taco shells, according to a government document.”
“…in a survey conducted in December 1999, nine months before the taco shell discovery, 2 of 230 farmers growing StarLink reported that they had sold the corn for food use or for export while another 12.6 percent said they did not know what happened to the corn after they had sold it.”
“The survey was commissioned by Aventis CropScience, the crop's developer, which sent the results to the Environmental Protection Agency in a report dated Jan. 27, 2000.”
“An Aventis official said the company was 'not pleased with how we responded' to the grower survey.”
“When StarLink was found in the taco shells last September, neither the environmental agency nor Aventis indicated that they had had any inkling it would happen.”
“There has been as yet no proof that StarLink causes allergies. Government tests did not detect evidence of allergies in 17 people who complained of them after eating food they thought contained StarLink.
But Keith Finger, a Florida optometrist who was one of those 17 people, yesterday released a letter written to him by his allergist saying that he 'most likely' has an allergy to StarLink. The allergist, Norman Wasserman of Vero Beach, Fla., said in the letter that Dr. Finger had a reaction to an extract of StarLink corn in a skin prick test.”
Sept. 18, 2001 AP Wire: “LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST CORN PRODUCERS”
“The class-action suit, filed Monday in Washington County Circuit Court, seeks millions of dollars in compensation and punitive damages for companies that allegedly lost business because they used a certain genetically altered corn in their products.
The case was brought on behalf of 4,600 Taco Bell restaurant franchises and owners in the United States; four Arkansas-based companies, Tyson Mexican Original Inc., T.B. Barrett Inc., Russ Taco Inc. and Dar-Taco Inc.; and two other companies - McLean Foods in North Carolina and Heartland Bells
Inc. in Washington state.
Defendants include Aventis Cropscience USA Holding, a multinational biotechnology company; Garst Seed Co.; Gruma Corp., the largest producer and distributor of corn flour and tortillas in the United States; Azteca Milling LP, another producer of corn masa flour; and other still-to-be-discovered companies.
The lawsuit alleges the defendants developed, marketed and distributed genetically altered StarLink corn and participated in fraudulent, deceptive conduct that led to StarLink's use in hundreds of items that people eat.”
Sept. 24, 2001 Bureau of National Affairs: “GROUP ASKS EPA TO DELAY REGISTRATION OF BIOTECH PRODUCTS, CITING INDUSTRY STUDIES”
“The environmental group Friends of the Earth asked the Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 21 to delay the reregistration of biotech crops until the agency receives more data, citing inadequate industry studies about allergenicity concerns.
According to FOE, the agency does not have a reasonable scientific basis to permit human consumption of the insecticidal crops. In a Sept. 21 letter to EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, the group cited its evaluation of data submitted by industry to EPA to support companies' crop registrations. (see www.foe.org/safefood for this letter)
'Of greatest concern are data showing that the bacterial toxin engineered into Monsanto's Yieldgard corn and Syngenta's Bt11 corn is resistant to digestion and heat, similar to the toxin engineered into StarLink corn,' the group said.”
“However, Monsanto spokesman Bryan Hurley told BNA Sept. 21 that the corn has been extensively tested and is as safe as conventional, non-engineered corn.”
“A decision on the reregistration of the crops is targeted for Oct. 15.”
“It is unclear what effect any delay in the decision would have on use of the engineered seeds. EPA said in July that the crops did not pose any unreasonable adverse effects to people or the environment, based on the agency's risk assessments (137 DEN A-8, 7/18/01).”
“The group said in the Sept. 21 letter that the agency failed to collect data on the similarity of amino acids in the proteins to known allergens and toxins for two of three varieties of Bt corn. Also, data are lacking on Bt cotton and potatoes, the group said.
A study by Aventis CropScience, of Research Triangle Park, N.C.,--originally designed to show that StarLink was safe--instead demonstrated its similarity to other Bt crops and raised new questions about them, the group said. Data in EPA's files reveal that several types of Bt corn share characteristics of StarLink, Bohlen said.
It is not clear if EPA reviewed all the studies or overlooked them, he added.
A 1994 Monsanto study tested digestibility of a protein in the corn, but the study used lower pH levels than those recently recommended by the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization, Bohlen said. It is believed that testing in such a way could make the protein easier to digest. Also, the study used little of the engineered protein, he said.
Hurley said Monsanto's extensive studies have proven the protein is rapidly digested and shown there are no allergenicity concerns. Friends of the Earth appears to be misrepresenting the data, he said.”
October 11, 2001 CNN (London): “BAYER BUYS CROPSCIENCE”
“Germany's Bayer agreed on Tuesday to buy Aventis's agrochemicals unit for 7.25 billion ($6.6 billion), including debt.”
“As part of the agreement, Aventis will be responsible for any potential liabilities arising from the controversy over StarLink genetically modified corn…”
Oct. 16, 2001 Reuters: "U.S. RENEWS BIOTECH CORN REGISTRATION FOR 7 YEARS”
“WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday it would allow companies to sell Bt corn for seven more years after finding the gene-spliced crop posed no risk to humans or other animals such as monarch butterflies or birds.”
“'Bt corn has been evaluated thoroughly by EPA, and we are confident that it does not pose risks to human health or to the environment,' Stephen Johnson, assistant administrator of EPA's pesticide office, said in statement.”
“'We disagree with their conclusion that the benefits outweigh any risks,' said Jane Rissler, a biotech expert with the Union of Concerned Scientists.”
Oct. 16, 2001 Inter Press Service: “EPA FINDS 'BT CORN' SAFE, BUT CRITICS OBJECT”
“A coalition of consumer and environmental groups, known as the Genetically Engineered Food Alert, said government regulators also failed to conduct studies on the impact that ingestion of the corn could have on human health.
Advocacy groups said hundreds of reports of possible allergic reactions to the engineered corn had not been investigated.
While the EPA's own scientific advisors recommended in July that allergy tests be conducted, regulatory officials said no tests were planned before the re-registering of Bt corn.
'The agency has had the ability for several years to design and conduct allergy testing, yet they have refused,' said NET's Rand.”
Nov. 16, 2001 Los Angeles Times: "FOR TRADER JOE'S, NO GMOs"
“Bowing to pressure from its customers, grocery chain Trader Joe's has agreed to ban genetically modified ingredients from its thousands of private-label products.”
“Trader Joe's said it had been considering dropping GMOs for some time, especially after last year's StarLink corn debacle, when an unapproved genetically engineered corn made its way into the food supply. However, St. John said, the company wanted to be sure there were adequate guidelines,
tests and supplies in place before it made an announcement.”
Dec. 21, 2001 Bloomberg News: “CORN FALLS TO THREE-WEEK LOW ON DROP IN EXPORTS”
“CHICAGO - Corn fell to a three-week low after a government report showed export sales fell 32% last week, signalling declining overseas demand for U.S. grain.”
“Corn prices are down 5.7% from a year ago.
Corn processors in Japan and South Korea have been buying more corn from China, Argentina and South Africa since December, 2000, when Japanese inspectors said three cargoes of U.S. corn tested positive for StarLink, a genetically modified type of corn banned in Japan and other nations.”