A large amount of a corn-based products containing an unapproved variety of gene-altered grain were found to have been imported from the United States and some of them were consumed in Korea.

The Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) announced yesterday that it recalled a total of 14,528 kilograms of tortillas from an importer identified as TS Haemaro, an operator of Popeye's fast food chains, which is affiliated with Taihan Sugar Group. The imported products were  reported to have been processed by Mission Foods of the U.S.

The tortillas were found to contain 0.34 percent of unapproved trans-genetic corn called StarLink.'' The KFDA said that the local importer brought in a total of 33,796 kg of tortillas worth $34,539, adding that 19,268 kg of the product was already consumed.

Tortilla is a thin disk of unleavened bread made from cornmeal or wheat flour, baked on a hot surface, and usually service topped with or wrapped around beans, ground meat, or cheese.

The action by the KFDA came after the American Embassy in Seoul notified the Korean government of the fact that Mission Foods Inc. had shipped the GMO (genetically-modified organism) corn product to the local firm.

...In the U.S, Mission Foods estimated Thruday that a nationwide recall of its unapproved variety of biotech grain could cost the company as much as $10 million.