U.S. panel weighs whether GM corn StarLink is safe for people

In this story: EPA acting too swiftly? Illnesses blamed on StarLink RELATED STORIES, SITES

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Federal regulators, now in the midst of the biggest biotech food fight in U.S. history, should not reward Aventis SA for illegally contaminating the nation's corn supply with a variety that may be linked to at least 35 illnesses, environmental groups said on Tuesday.

A panel of physicians, chemists and other scientists appointed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency held a day-long meeting to weigh the health risks of StarLink bio-corn and whether it should continue to be banned from human food.

VIDEO CNN's Christy Feig examines the controversy Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     ALSO USDA: More U.S. firms may voluntarily adopt bio-food labels U.S. Congress funds biotech research for humanitarian aid     MESSAGE BOARD How do you feel about genetically modified foods?   FOOD FIGHT The debate over genetically engineered foods is growing. Some of the benefits and risks: - Select here - BENEFITS Higher Yields Boosting Nutrition Better health Fewer chemicals RISKS New allergens Antibiotic resistance New viruses New weeds Pest resistance More information from AsiaWeek (Source: AsiaWeek)   HOW IT'S DONE How to genetically modify a plant     WATCH IT GROW Click here to see the flash version of how GM corn is made    Debugging your corn Different brands of genetically engineered corn are geared to protect against certain prevalent insects. YieldGard (TM) -- Protected against corn earworm, European corn borer, cornstalk borer and fall armyworm KnockOut (TM) -- Protected against corn earworm, European corn borer and cornstalk borer NaturGard (TM) -- Protected against corn earworm, European corn borer and cornstalk borer BT-Xtra (TM) -- Protected against European corn borer and cornstalk borer StarLink (TM) -- Protected against black cutworm, European corn borer and cornstalk borer photos courtesy John L. Capinera/ University of Florida

StarLink's accidental contamination of the nation's corn supply triggered a massive recall of more than 300 kinds of chips, taco shells, cornmeal and other foods since September. It also disrupted food production lines and slowed U.S. exports of corn to important buyers like Japan and South Korea.

Aventis, the giant Franco-German company, wants the EPA to grant temporary approval of StarLink for human consumption, citing new scientific data that it says shows the genetically modified corn will not cause allergies. Such approval would also help shield the company from tens of millions of dollars in liability.

"EPA is charged with protecting human health and the environment, not rewarding illegal behavior," said Jane Rissler, a biotech critic with the Union of Concerned Scientists. "In addition, turning on a dime to assist industry would undermine confidence here and abroad in EPA as a regulator."

Other activist groups criticized the EPA for being too eager to respond to Aventis' request when the agency typically takes years to collect data and public comments before acting on safety issues.

StarLink has a special gene inserted in it to help the young corn plant fight destructive pests.

The panel of 15 researchers and scientists is to submit its recommendations by Friday on whether StarLink may cause allergies. The EPA is expected to act soon after that.

The meeting drew more than 200 people from food companies, farm groups, consumer groups and trade associations who view the debate as a crucial test of U.S. biotech regulations.

Outside the hotel meeting site, two dozen anti-biotech demonstrators pulled on cow, pig and chicken masks and gathered around a trough of corn labeled as unsafe to eat.

StarLink was approved by the EPA in 1998 for use only in animal feed because of uncertainty whether it could cause allergic reactions in humans. At that time, Aventis promised to ensure that farmers, grain elevators, food processors and others throughout the food chain kept StarLink completely segregated from other varieties of corn.

Aventis officials told the science panel that all of this year's StarLink crop except about 75,000 bushels -- or less than 1 percent -- has been collected as part of the company's so-called "stewardship" program to channel the corn to animal feed or ethanol production. About 80 million bushels of the corn was grown by American farmers this year, a tiny percentage of overall corn production.

"We stand by and remain committed to our stewardship program and financial liability," Larry Somerville, director of scientific affairs for Aventis, told the panel.

The company contends that StarLink does not cause allergies, based on studies of mice and comparisons with other allergens such as peanuts. But even on the remote chance that StarLink can cause allergies, the amount in the food supply is so minuscule it could not trigger a reaction, Aventis said.

Company officials have likened the amount of StarLink present in the entire U.S. food supply to a single drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Somerville also downplayed last week's discovery that StarLink had contaminated corn seeds sold by an Iowa company. "We sincerely believe the extensive testing will keep this under control," he said, referring to genetic tests by grain elevators, shippers and food processors.

One of the key pieces of information presented to the panel on Tuesday came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which said at least 35 Americans claimed they fell ill after eating StarLink.

Symptoms reported by consumers included rashes, diarrhea, vomiting, itching and life-threatening anaphylactic shock, said Dr. Karl Klontz, an FDA epidemiologist. But unless a special laboratory test is developed, scientists may never pinpoint whether the gene-altered corn was to blame.

"We're continuing to follow these people and are trying to get as much medical information as we can," Klontz said.

Of the people who blamed StarLink for their illness, more than a dozen went to a doctor for treatment. They included a man who was rushed to a hospital emergency room for anaphylactic shock after eating corn chips, Klontz said. The man later told investigators he had no history of allergies.

A 13-year-old boy was also treated by emergency physicians when his face and tongue swelled after he ate flour tortillas.

The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, is also investigating the complaints, and said it considered 11 of the cases to be possibly linked to StarLink or another food allergy.

During the meeting, the 15-member science panel questioned experts to try and determine how much StarLink will occur in a typical American diet. The panel also looked at how easily StarLink is digested, a key issue in determining whether a food can trigger allergic reactions.

Although it has pulled StarLink seeds from the market, Aventis wants regulators to grant a four-year approval for StarLink in human food to allow time for any tainted food to be processed, shipped, sold and consumed.

If the EPA grants the approval, it would affect some 7 million bushels of corn, according to Steve Gill of the U.S. Agriculture Department's Farm Service Agency. That is the amount of this year's crop that was harvested and left the farm before the StarLink controversy surfaced in September.

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 Link on StarLink Scientific Advisory Panel
Union of Concerned Scientists site on Biotechnology & Agriculture
Aventis site on StarLink corn
National Corn Growers Association
USDA Link on Agricultural Biotechnology
FDA Link on Bioengineered Foods
Biotechnology Industry Organization

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