US panel unconvinced of StarLink bio-corn safety

Julie Vorman / Reuters 5dec00

     WASHINGTON - An independent panel of U.S. scientists on Tuesday dealt a blow to Aventis SA's bid to win temporary approval of StarLink bio-corn for human food by finding that the corn had a ``medium likelihood'' of causing allergic reactions.

     The group of physicians, chemists and other scientists concluded that there were still many unanswered questions about the safety of StarLink, a type of corn engineered to repel pests.

     The Environmental Protection Agency, which appointed the panel, said it would use the 28-page, highly technical report to guide its decision on the Aventis request.

     ``EPA will continue its evaluation of the scientific information and develop the appropriate regulatory approach'' to protect public health, Stephen Johnson, EPA deputy assistant administrator, said in a statement.

     A spokeswoman for Aventis, the giant Franco-German pharmaceutical maker and seed company, said the firm had no immediate comment.

     The EPA landed in the middle of the controversy over StarLink corn because of its 1998 decision to approve the corn for use as animal feed -- but not for human food because of lingering concerns about health and safety.

     In September, traces of StarLink were found in taco shells purchased at a Washington, D.C. area grocery store, setting off a massive recall of more than 300 kinds of taco shells, chips, cornmeal and other foods by U.S. companies.

     Investigators determined that a portion of the 80 million bushel StarLink crop this year was accidentally commingled with vast amounts of conventional corn by farmers, grain elevators and shippers. Aventis launched a $100 million corn buy-back program, but the company's costs could soar much higher due to potential liability related to recalls by food processors and expenses by grain handlers.

     A Washington law firm last week filed a class action lawsuit against Aventis, claiming the contamination has frightened away some foreign buyers like Japan and South Korea and depressed already-low corn prices. The lawsuit seeks an undetermined amount of damages for cleaning grain elevators, farm equipment, storage bins, railcars and trucks.

     ILLNESSES SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED

     The science panel's report raised more questions about StarLink safety, suggesting it may be to blame for rashes, diarrhea and other allergic reactions reported by some 44 Americans. As many as 14 of those illnesses may have been caused by StarLink, but further investigation is needed to rule out other allergens, the report said.

     The science panel concluded there was a ``medium likelihood'' that StarLink's unique Cry9C protein is a potential allergen, based on the chemical properties of the protein. More data is needed, however, to analyze allergenicity, the report said.

     Based on the best available estimates of StarLink residue in the U.S. diet, there is a ``low probability'' of allergic reactions, the scientists said. ``There is need for a better evaluation of the amount of StarLink corn that could be in the food chain,'' the report said.

     The panel also said it was ``highly doubtful'' that much more StarLink corn would contaminate the U.S. food supply now that seedmaker Aventis has withdrawn the corn from the market.

     The report dismissed many of the arguments Aventis made in seeking a four-year temporary approval for the corn so that all contaminated supplies can work their way through food processors, distribution channels and consumers' pantries. The company contends that StarLink is safe, but even if it carried a small risk of allergic reactions, only a tiny amount is present in the overall U.S. food chain.

     EPA SEEN RULING AGAINST AVENTIS

     Environmentalists said the science panel's report would make it difficult for the EPA to approve the Aventis request.

     ``This gives the EPA plenty of ammunition to delay a decision or to deny Aventis' petition outright,'' said Becky Goldburg, a biotech expert with Environmental Defense.

     ``The overall risk is probably fairly low, but there is just uncertainty after uncertainty about whether StarLInk corn is an allergen,'' she added. ``The information is not there for EPA to make a sound scientific decision at this time.''

     Larry Bohlen, a spokesman for Genetically Engineered Food Alert, a coalition of anti-biotech activist groups, said the panel also emphasized that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control should aggressively investigate the 44 self-reported illnesses by consumers who ate foods with corn ingredients. The consumers reported symptoms ranging from itchiness to breathing problems requiring emergency hospital treatment.

     Foodmakers pointed to the panel's determination that only tiny amounts of StarLink were in the food supply.

     ``The food industry welcomes the EPA finding that there is such a modest amount of StarLink corn in the system that there is a low probability that consumers could develop an allergy to the corn,'' said Gene Grabowski, vice president of the Grocery Manufacturers of America, a trade group that represents some of the nation's biggest food companies.

     ``We urge federal regulators to come to an expeditious and appropriate conclusion on this matter,'' he added.

     The EPA said it was working with the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Agriculture Department to monitor the U.S. food supply and detect any more StarLink corn.

     The trio of government regulators are also evaluating what impact food processing has on StarLink residue and new methods to measure StarLink contamination in processed foods.