Monsanto Corn Is Not Approved for Human Consumption in
Europe
Foods Contaminated by Genetically Engineered U.S. Corn Found in the United Kingdom, Denmark
Friends of the Earth Europe announced a finding of food contamination by engineered corn grown and marketed in the U.S. but not approved for human consumption in Europe. The corn variety is Roundup Ready (GA21), produced by Monsanto.
"This shocking discovery is the latest in a growing list of biotech blunders. It's becoming increasingly clear that the biotech industry can't control its products and government regulation is pathetically lax," said Adrian Bebb, of the Real Food campaign at Friends of the Earth, United Kingdom.
FoE Europe commissioned laboratory tests, similar to those conducted in the U.S. to check for Starlink corn, on 31 products including tortilla chips, taco shells, polenta and corn flakes. In the UK, the tests found that Phileas Fogg AuthenticTM Tortilla Chips and house-brand tortilla chips sold by grocers Safeway and Asda contained Monsanto's GA21 corn. Kims ZapatasTM, purchased in Denmark, also tested positive for the presence of GA21. The analysis was performed by GeneScan in Freiburg, Germany, one of Europe's top laboratories. FOE Europe is demanding that all the contaminated products be recalled.
Monsanto is currently seeking safety approval for GA21. Earlier this year UK's Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) concluded that there was insufficient information on whether the corn which contains DNA from bacteria, rice, and sunflower, could provoke allergic reactions. The concern is similar to the U.S. EPA ruling that Starlink corn has "characteristics of known allergens" due to the bacterial toxin engineered into its cells, but that allergenicity had not been determined.
"Biotech companies like Monsanto and Aventis are marketing foods laced with bacterial toxins and antibiotic resistance genes whether people want them or not," said Larry Bohlen, Director of Health and Environment Programs at Friends of the Earth, U.S. "Now, with contamination by a different unapproved corn out in the open, American companies exporting to Europe could take a pounding."
A briefing paper by FoE UK may be found at www.foe.org/safefood
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For further information contact Mark Helm, 202-783-7400 x102. Friends of the Earth is located at 1025 Vermont Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20005 USA. Tel: 202-783-7400 - Fax: 202-783-0444 - email: foe@foe.org
The corporate lobbyists for GM food manipulators now have a public relations nightmare. They continue to oppose labeling GM ingredients, yet the GM manipulators have repeatedly broken the law and put contaminated ingredients into products. One recent poll shows how angry Americans have become -- 33% said farmers should not even be allowed to grow GM crops. About 90% support labeling of GM ingredients. Share your actions and opinions with others at The Progress Report:
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