"Oops, they did it again. Biotechnology terrorists started another scare that didn't pan out." - Steven Milloy, Fox News http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,27297,00.html
Maybe the likes of Steve Milloy should hang back on celebrating the CDC's report that 17 people didn't show signs of allergic reactions to Starlink when the mainstream US press editorialises like this (item 1): "the nation's experience with StarLink shows the need to keep genetically altered grain seed out of farmers' fields until it is proved safe for both humans and animals"
1. Report doesn't absolve biotech food
2. Study of Starlink Corn Unscientific
3. US Report on StarLink Fails to Soothe Japan, Korea
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1. Report doesn't absolve biotech food
http://www.journalgazette.net/editor/edt1.htm
The Journal Gazette: Editorial 15 June 2001
[The Journal Gazette is an Indiana daily]
A federal report showing no evidence linking StarLink corn with allergic reactions is encouraging. But it should not be considered a definitive conclusion.
More important, the nation's experience with StarLink shows the need to keep genetically altered grain seed out of farmers' fields until it is proved safe for both humans and animals.
StarLink, like the more prevalent Bt corn, uses a gene from a bacterium to kill the damaging corn borer when it feeds on crops. Because protein from the StarLink gene is not easily broken down in the stomach like Bt corn and most other genetically altered food, government regulators believed it could be an allergen. So the government approved StarLink for consumption by animals and not people.
But StarLink corn showed up in grocery products, including taco shells, and some people who ate food with StarLink complained of bad reactions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tested blood from 17 people who complained and found no evidence of antibodies to the protein.
While the findings were encouraging, the report noted that the lack of antibodies is not conclusive proof that StarLink did not trigger allergic reactions.
Further, environmental groups questioned the testing that led to the report, pointing out that the tests excluded hundreds of people who reported reactions directly to food companies.
StarLink's maker, Aventis CropScience, has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to approve StarLink for human consumption.
The EPA should insist on definitive proof that StarLink's unique gene does not cause allergic reactions before approving it.
The StarLink experience should also cause government agencies to recognize that biotech corn cannot be separated from traditional corn in the food supply, either in fields - where pollen is carried by wind from one plot to the next - or in grain elevators.
"The American agricultural system finds it very difficult to be segregated," notes W. Randy Woodson, associate dean of agriculture and director of Agriculture Research Programs at Purdue University.
Finally, foods containing genetically altered ingredients should be labeled so consumers can decide whether to buy them.
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2.Environmental Defense Calls Study of Starlink Corn Unscientific
http://www.mindfully.org/GE/GE2/StarLink-Cleared-AllergiesCDC.htm#1
Press Release 13jun01
CDC/FDA Study Relies On Small Number Of Self-Reported Reactions Following Consumption Of Corn
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released late this afternoon the results of an investigation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of about 20 consumer reports of allergic reactions following consumption of foods containing corn. The investigation did not find that any of the reactions are attributable to StarLinkâ„¢ corn, which is genetically engineered to produce an insecticidal toxin. Sold by Aventis, StarLink corn is not permitted in human food, because of evidence that it may cause allergic reactions. Testing this past year has shown that numerous food products, such as taco shells, are contaminated by StarLink corn.
"The CDC/FDA results are far from definitive," said Rebecca Goldburg, a senior scientist at Environmental Defense. "CDC and FDA only examined reactions of a small number of people who asked to be assessed, rather than examining people most likely to suffer allergic reactions to StarLink. Those most likely to suffer such reactions include young children, who are especially vulnerable to developing food allergies, and food industry workers, who are heavily exposed to corn."
Aventis has incurred considerable expense since the discovery of StarLink contamination in human food. Among other expenses, the company has paid a price premium to farmers to buy back StarLink-contaminated corn supplies. In April 2001 the company for the second time petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to allow StarLink corn in human food.
"Today's results are a small bit of evidence about the health impacts of StarLink corn," said Goldburg. "The results are entirely insufficient to support an EPA decision to allow StarLink corn in human food. Consumers should not be asked to bear health risks as a result of Aventis' failure to prevent food contamination by StarLink corn."
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3. US Report on StarLink Fails to Soothe Japan, Korea
http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/010614/t69988.html . Excerpts:
By Jae Hur, Reuters, 14 June 2001. TOKYO,
Grain importers in Japan and South Korea, the two top U.S. corn buyers, have shrugged off a U.S. government report that found no link between bioengineered Starlink corn and human allergy cases, traders said on Thursday. `
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on Wednesday it found no evidence linking the unapproved genetically modified (GM) corn variety to allergic reactions reported by dozens of American consumers last autumn. StarLink, made by the Franco-German pharmaceutical group Aventis, was barred by U.S. regulators for human use because of concerns it might trigger allergic reactions such as rashes, diarrhea or breathing problems. StarLink's key component, the Cry9c protein, protects young plants from destructive pests. ``The announcement will not help our corn imports resume to normal,'' said a trader with a major trading house.
``This can also not help Japan change its view against the StarLink corn because it is not approved in the United States for human consumption.''
In April, Japan's Health Ministry imposed new stricter rules to guard against imports of unapproved biotech products and the ministry began checks for unapproved GM crops in food imports at unloading ports and in food products on the domestic market. The new rules established zero tolerance for imports containing unapproved gene-altered products and required mandatory labelling for approved GM products......`
SEOUL SHUNS U.S. CORN. South Korea's Korea Corn Processing Industry Association has asked foreign suppliers since late last week to replace U.S. corn with South American corn against its previously contracted optional origin cargoes, Seoul traders said. The association, which imports about two million tonnes of corn a year for human consumption, has already bought corn for October arrivals, of which some were declared by suppliers as U.S. origin, they said. South Korea imports another six million tonnes for animal feed per year. ``This was just to avoid the StarLink contamination problems in U.S.....