Contaminated Corn Dumped on EPA in San Francisco

Simon Harris / Organizer Organic Consumers Association 16nov00

Environmentalists demand that agency deny approval of StarLink corn due to allergy threat.

SAN FRANCISCO - Greenpeace activists today dumped two tons of StarLink-contaminated corn in front of the Environmental Protection Agency's local headquarters. The activists, wearing biohazard suits, demanded that the agency deny approval of the gene-altered corn for human consumption, as requested by the corn's producer, Aventis, due to scientific concerns about potential health risks.

EPA has refused to approve the animal feed corn for human consumption due to its potential to cause food allergies. The corn has widely contaminated the U.S. food supply, resulting in the recall of nearly 300 food products. Costs to Aventis from the recall are estimated to approach $1 billion dollars. To forestall further losses, the company is now seeking temporary approval of the feed corn for human consumption.

"The EPA must not risk public health to protect corporate profits," said Kimberley Wilson, Greenpeace genetic engineering campaigner. "By approving StarLink, EPA would be rewarding the company for unlawfully contaminating the nation's food supply."

StarLink corn produces an insecticidal protein called Cry9C that could cause dangerous allergic reactions in some people. The EPA's review of StarLink found that many of the allergenicity data submitted on StarLink were "either inconclusive or indicate that Cry9C exhibits some characteristics of known allergens." In October, an EPA advisory panel heard from scientists who warned that there is no known safe level of allergens in food.

"For two years, EPA has refused to approve StarLink because scientists say the genetically engineered corn could cause dangerous allergies," added Wilson. "But now that the industry is facing hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, the agency says they will make a decision in less than two months."

The Greenpeace activists were joined outside EPA by members of the Organic Consumers Association, Pesticide Action Network, the Ecology Center, Center for Food Safety, and the Ruckus Society, demanding that the EPA protect the food supply from StarLink corn.

"EPA's own scientific advisors say they don't know if this corn is safe for people," said Simon Harris of the Organic Consumers Association. "The health of Americans should not be put at risk simply for the convenience of the biotech industry." On November 28, EPA will hear from a Scientific Advisory panel that will present its findings by December 1. EPA is expected to rule shortly after that.

Simon Harris
California Field Organizer
Organic Consumers Association
Tel: (415) 643-9592  Fax: (413) 793-0451