EPA says biotech corn recommendation due by next month

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- A science advisory panel will publish by December 1 its assessment of whether StarLink gene-spliced corn is likely to cause an allergic reaction in people, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday.

The science panel's evaluation will be a crucial factor in determining whether the EPA agrees to grant temporary approval for StarLink in human food, thus limiting the legal liability of maker Aventis SA.

StarLink, a variety of yellow corn altered to produce its own pesticide, was approved by the EPA in 1998 for use only as livestock feed.

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But traces of the corn were found in taco shells in late September, triggering the recall of more than 300 foods containing corn flour, disrupting production lines and forcing Aventis to hurry to buy back the corn from American farmers.

Aventis, which expects to pay some $100 million to buy back the corn, could see its costs soar much higher if StarLink remains illegal and foodmakers, grain elevators and other companies seek reimbursement.

The EPA said in a Federal Register notice published on Tuesday that an independent science advisory panel would hold a public meeting on November 28 in a suburb of Washington to discuss the allergenicity of StarLink.

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"The purpose of this ... meeting is to consider the potential allergenicity, sensitization and dietary exposure of Starlink corn," the EPA said in its notice.

Similar EPA science advisory panels that previously considered the same issues said they lacked enough scientific data to make a decision.

Late last month, Aventis submitted new scientific data that it said showed the Cry9C protein in StarLink had "no potential" to cause rashes, diarrhea, respiratory problems or other allergic reactions. The company wants the EPA to allow StarLink in human food for a four-year period needed to process, distribute and consume all the food that might be contaminated with the corn.

Although StarLink was grown on less than 1 percent of U.S. corn fields, government officials said farmers and grain elevators commingled StarLink with vast amounts of other corn.

An EPA spokesman said a full agenda for the Nov. 28 public meeting would be published soon on the Internet at http:/www.epa.gov/scipoly/sap/.

The agency also plans to issue its own preliminary assessment of the new Aventis data, possibly by Friday, the spokesman said. That will give an insight into how the EPA is likely to consider Aventis' request.

Green groups said they planned to ask the EPA to extend the review period for StarLink because not all the new science material has been readily available.

"The process is already patently unfair and stacked against concerned members of the public," said Larry Bohlen, a spokesman for Genetically Engineered Food Alert, a coalition of green groups that opposes biotech foods.

"We think the EPA should take more time to complete health investigations into reports of illnesses and do tests for allergenicity," he added.

More than a dozen people have complained of allergic reactions they said were linked to eating StarLink tainted products. Federal regulators are now investigating the claims.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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