Corn recall reaches stores, restaurants across country
PHILIP BRASHER / AP 3nov00

WASHINGTON -- A nationwide recall of taco shells and other corn products because they contain an unapproved variety of biotech grain has reached stores and restaurants across the country, including Wal-Mart and Wendy's.

The manufacturer, Mission Foods Inc., estimated Thursday that the recall could cost the company as much as $10 million.

About 300 varieties of taco shells, tortillas and snack chips made by Irving, Texas-based Mission were affected by the Oct. 13 recall, according to a list released by the Food and Drug Administration.

The FDA's list includes tortillas and chips sold through such restaurants as Applebees and Wendy's restaurants, and taco shells carrying private labels of a number of supermarket chains, including Safeway, Food Lion, Kroger, IGA, Albertson's and Wal-Mart.

The products contain a genetically engineered variety of corn, known as StarLink, that hasn't been approved for human consumption because of questions about its potential to cause allergic reactions. Federal officials say there is little, if any, health risk from the corn.

News of the recall also has affected sales of taco shells that aren't affected by the recall. Stores in some areas have been forced to cut prices in order to sell the taco shells before their expiration dates, said Gene Grabowski, a spokesman for the Grocery Manufacturers of America.

``We have not heard that it is widespread across the country, but only in certain markets ... where taco shells are less of a staple in the diet,'' he said.

Mission Foods estimates that its recall involves 5 million to 6 million pounds. ``That's going to cost us many millions of dollars,'' possibly as much as $10 million, said company spokesman Peter Pitts.

The recall was issued after taco shells containing StarLink corn were found in a Washington-area Safeway store. Mission officials said they decided to recall their products that contain yellow corn and switch to the use of white corn.

The company is having sales representatives check stores and restaurants for compliance with the recall. Pitts said he did now know how much of the recalled products had been returned or destroyed so far.

Stores have not reported problems selling Mission's replacement products made with white corn, Pitts said.

Kraft Foods Inc. also switched to white corn for its taco shells after it recalled its product in September because of a positive test for StarLink, but Kraft's white-corn taco shells aren't in stores yet, a company spokeswoman said.

The Kraft and Mission products were made with StarLink grown last year and mixed in with other corn that was sold to millers.

Federal officials fear that some of this year's crop also may get into the food supply because they have been unable to trace about 1.2 million bushels, or 1.5 percent of the total StarLink harvest, that were shipped from farms.

The developer of the corn, Aventis CropScience, has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily approve the grain for food use so that no more recalls are necessary. The company says there is virtually no chance that anyone could be harmed. EPA says it will review the request with scientists before deciding whether to grant it.

• The FDA list: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ENFORCE/ENF00666.html