-Caveat Lector-
Wednesday November 29 1:25 AM ET
Panel Weighs if StarLink Bio-Corn Safe for Humans
By Julie Vorman
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 44 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.
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(AVEP.PA), 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 bio-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.
Epa Seen Acting Swiftly
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.
44 Illnesses Blamed On Starlink
One of the key pieces of information presented to the panel on Tuesday
came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (news - web sites),
which said 44 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 44 people who blamed StarLink for their illness, 13 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 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.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
}}}> ANOMALOUS RADIO <{{{ - Techno, Ambient, Talk (33k+)
http://www.live365.com/cgi-bin/directory.cgi?autostart=anomalous
}}}> RADIO ANOMALY <{{{ - Techno, Ambient, Jazz (Cable, DSL)
http://www.live365.com/cgi-bin/directory.cgi?autostart=stevew168
Anomalous Images and UFO Files
http://www.anomalous-images.com
<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html
<A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
<A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
