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OCTOBER 26, 2000

A coalition of food safety groups has found a genetically modified corn not meant for human consumption in more products on the consumer market.

The group, known as the Genetically Engineered Food Alert, has tested several products over the past months. The most recent are taco shells produced by Western Family Foods Inc., a company in Oregon, and marketed under Western Family and Shurfine brand names.

The discovery of the modified corn, known as StarLink, in several products has also lead to recalls within the past month. Mission Foods, who manufactured the Western Family taco shells, Delhaize, Kraft, and Safeway have all issued recalls for products that contain StarLink.

In addition, the company which produces StarLink, Aventis CropScience, has pulled it from the market.

But the product has been in the food supply for months. The company has taken the blame for shipping it to farmers and grain shippers without properly alerting them of the fact that the product was only approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for animal consumption.

The company also says it shouldn't have accepted the animal-only designation. However, company on Wednesday asked the FDA to temporarily approve the product for human consumption

The FDA says there isn't an immediate risk to eating the product, but that it may lead to allergic reactions. The company yesterday said that risk is low.

In Japan, the Consumers Union, a group which opposes genetically modified foods, reports today that it discovered the product in snack foods and animal feed. The product is not meant for export and in Japan, StarLink is not approved either for animal or human consumption.

Related Stories:
Bio-corn found in supply (The Medicine Wheel 10/25)
Corn causes shutdown (The Medicine Wheel 10/23)
More corn products tested (The Medicine Wheel 10/19)
Genetically altered salmon up for approval (The Medicine Wheel 10/17)
Bio-corn to be removed from market (The Medicine Wheel 10/13)
Safeway taco shells recalled (The Medicine Wheel 10/12)

Relevant Links:
Western Family Foods - www.westernfamily.com
The Center for Food Safety - www.centerforfoodsafety.org
Genetically Engineering Food Alert -www.gefoodalert.org
Aventis CropScience - www2.aventis.com/cropsc/cro_main.htm
Bioengineered foods, The FDA - www.fda.gov/oc/biotech/default.htm