ConAgra recalls 1.45 million pounds of flour linked to bio-corn

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- A U.S. food recall linked to StarLink biotech corn has broadened to include 1.45 million pounds of baking ingredients made by the nation's second-largest food manufacturer, the Food and Drug Administration said.

ConAgra Foods Inc. recalled 25- and 100-pound bags of corn flour, grits, polenta, cornmeal and binders used by restaurants and institutions.

The company quietly began the recall in October, but this was not made public until the FDA published a weekly notice on Wednesday of all U.S. food recalls underway.

RECALLED ITEMS Click for a list of recalled items     ALSO What the experts say about StarLink and allergens

ConAgra said it did not consider the action a recall because none of the institutional-sized bags of flour ever reached stores where consumers could buy it.

"We're saying it was a voluntary market withdrawal," a ConAgra spokeswoman said. "All the food was retrieved."

The products were recalled because they may contain traces of StarLink corn, a variety not allowed in human food because of concerns it might cause allergic reactions in people. In 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency approved StarLink for use only in animal feed.

The items were milled at ConAgra's facility in Atchison, Kansas. "Everything listed on the notice comes to less than one day's production at the mill," the spokeswoman said.

The discovery of StarLink in taco shells in late September triggered a recall of more than 300 kinds of U.S.-made chips, tostadas and other snack foods made with corn flour. Food processors have been forced to begin testing raw ingredients to determine if any StarLink is present in supplies.

The ConAgra plant in Kansas that made the recalled items was closed for more than a week in October for thorough cleaning and tests after StarLink was detected there. Several other U.S. food processors also were forced to temporarily shut down production lines last month to check for StarLink.

The FDA said the amounts recalled totalled 219,854 pounds of corn meal; 416,780 pounds of corn flour; 106,250 pounds of snack meal; 435,500 pounds of flaking grits; 135,000 pounds of polenta grits; and 137,100 pounds of cereal binder.

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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EPA Link on Biopesticides
EPA Office of Science Coordination and Policy
Aventis CropScience
National Corn Growers Association
USDA Link on biotech foods
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Biotechnology Industry Organization
Colorado State University Web site on transgenic crops

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