November headlines

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Europe's mad cow fight may lead to new GE food scare

November 29
Reuters

European measures to combat the spread of mad cow disease could open the gates to a new food scare if genetically-modified soymeal replaces ground carcasses in animal feed, UK environmentalists said on Wednesday.

A ban by the European Union (EU) on all meat and bone meal in animal feed blamed for the spread of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle has sparked panic buying of soymeal and may force food producers to turn to GM versions.

``We're just replacing one set of questions with another set of questions,'' Andy Tait, a campaigner at environmental group Greenpeace, told Reuters.

``Nobody has any idea what the long term impact of feeding GM soymeal to animals will be, rather like no one had any idea what the long term impact of feeding meat and bone meal to animals would be. It's a risk we really cannot afford to take again.''

European officials have said the ban would force producers to source a shortfall of between 2.15 to 2.2 million tons of soybean meal from the U.S., where GM crops are widely planted.

More than 90 percent of Argentina's soy crop, the world's third largest, is of the genetically-modified Roundup Ready variety, traders in Buenos Aires said earlier this month.

A slew of food safety scares has turned public opinion against GM crops, despite government reassurances on their safety, with many consumers calling for clear labeling of meat from animals fed with gene-modified meal.

``We would appeal to companies when they are sourcing soya, to actually source non-GM soya. There is a bulk quantity of non-GM soya available and it's extremely important they source segregated non-GM Soya for their meat,'' Tait said, adding that much U.S. soymeal is unsegregated. Environmental group Friends of the Earth said a move to genetically modified feed proved countries had yet to learn the ''BSE lesson''.

``We should learn from the BSE crisis and stop messing around with the food we feed to both animals and human beings,'' Adrian Ebb, a campaigner from Friends of the Earth, said.

He said UK supermarkets and food manufacturers had begun to listen to the public's demand for non-GM meat. In a recent poll, 63 percent of Britain's shoppers said they wanted supermarkets to drop GM ingredients from animal feed.

``Supermarkets and food manufacturers have listened and are now promising to do just this,'' Ebb said.

``It would be outrageous if as a result of BSE even more GM food was imported into this country.''

USDA to improve biotech standards

November 29
AP

The government is looking to improve the tracking and detection of biotech crops to protect markets for both gene-altered and conventional foods, and avoid further disruptions in grain trading and processing.

``In order to protect our domestic and foreign markets and ensure public confidence, it's essential that we improve our ability to identify and track genetically modified products,'' Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said Wednesday.

He said the department will take public comment on steps his department could take, including setting definitions for biotech and conventional crops as part of the government's system of quality grades and standards.

The Agriculture Department also could start certifying grain-handling systems to ensure they keep biotech crops separate from conventionally bred varieties.

Since the spring, the agency has worked on the ideas, which took on a new urgency when a variety of biotech corn not approved for human consumption was discovered in taco shells this fall. Some food processors had to suspend operations to clean out the grain, and U.S. corn exports have dropped sharply.

Glickman blamed the crop's developer, Aventis CropScience, which was supposed to ensure that its StarLink corn was only used for animal feed or industrial uses, such as production of ethanol, a gasoline additive.

Agriculture experts and food industry officials say the problem exposed flaws in farm practices and the nation's grain-handling system. Some farmers did not keep track of where they planted the corn, while others apparently were not told of government-imposed restrictions on how the crop was to be grown and used.

``The StarLink problem illustrates how difficult the segregation problem will be. I don't think this is something that processors and industry can work out themselves. Having a USDA role will be helpful,'' said Jane Rissler, a biotech specialist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, an advocacy group.

She and other biotech critics believe the government should go further and require the labeling of foods containing biotech ingredients, an idea the Clinton administration has rejected.

But both consumers and the biotech industry could benefit if the Agriculture Department improves the tracking of biotech crops, said Kelly Johnston, executive vice president of government affairs for the National Food Processors Association.

For example, consumers would know for sure whether food that claims to be free of biotech ingredients really is, he said. ``Those who want that kind of choice ought to be willing to bear the cost of doing that,'' he added.

Any decision on new regulations would be up to the next administration because Glickman will leave office in January.

The Agriculture Department also is weighing how to regulate trees and ornamental plants being developed through genetic engineering, Glickman said. Agency officials are concerned about the new plants cross-pollinating with weedy relatives and causing environmental damage.

Dozens of field trials are being conducted on various trees, flowers and grasses that have been engineered to have special traits.

They include varieties of Kentucky bluegrass that would be resistant to drought or weedkillers; petunias whose flowers would stay on longer; and poplar trees that could resist insects or fungus.

US to consider if rule needed to separate bio-crops

November 29
Reuters

Amid the debate over the bio-corn contamination that triggered the recall of hundreds of foods, the U.S. Agriculture Department said on Wednesday it was mulling what new regulations might be needed to separate and monitor gene-spliced crops.

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said the USDA wants the food industry, farm groups, grain exporters and consumer activists to offer suggestions on what, if anything, the USDA ought to do to help farmers market biotech crops in a way that will preserve public confidence.

Under federal law, the USDA is responsible for promoting American farm exports, which generate some $50 billion annually and are a crucial part of farm income.

But the department also is responsible for inspecting meat and poultry plants, preventing plant diseases, approving field trials of new gene-altered crops, and maintaining U.S. consumer confidence in a safe food supply.

``One of the things we want to talk about with the world, with the public, is what is our role? What ought to be our role in dealing with the marketing of these products?'' Glickman told reporters after addressing a meeting of the USDA's agricultural biotechnology advisory committee.

The USDA will publish on Thursday in the Federal Register a detailed notice asking for public comments and guidance.

SHOULD USDA CERTIFY BIO-CROPS?

Among the key issues are whether the USDA should be involved in reviewing or certifying the performance of companies' systems to carefully segregate gene-altered grain from conventional crops.

Another issue is whether the USDA should create definitions for biotech and non-biotech crops as part of its quality grades and standards.

The department also wants to know if it should expand its accreditation of laboratories that detect biotech grains and oilseeds to other kinds of gene-spliced crops, such as fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants.

``We've got to make sure we do it in the way that makes the most sense,'' Glickman said, referring to any possible new biotech regulations.

Most U.S. farmers, grain elevators, processing firms and shippers are accustomed to handling corn, for example, as a commodity crop that can be freely interchanged because the quality is roughly the same for most varieties.

The contamination of huge quantities of the American corn supply with StarLink bio-corn this year has been blamed on the accidental commingling by farmers and grain elevators who were not aware of the need for strict segregation.

StarLink, made by Aventis SA, was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use only in livestock feed because of concerns about human allergies. As part of that licensing approval, Aventis had to promise to keep the corn completely separate from varieties headed for human food use.

In September, traces of StarLink were found in taco shells and more than 300 kinds of chips, cornmeal and other foods were recalled by food companies. Several key buyers of U.S. corn such as Japan and South Korea have balked at purchasing more shipments because of fears of contamination.

``I'm not sure that the particular company (Aventis) did an effective job of doing what they needed to do to protect the situation here,'' Glickman said. ``It is something that I don't think industry was ready for.''

Segregation Crucial For New Bio-Crops

New regulations and programs to strictly separate crops may be even more important as agribusinesses develop the next generation of bio-plants that are engineered to produce pharmaceuticals and nutritional benefits, USDA officials said.

Some seed companies are already at work creating plants that will offer such consumer benefits. Currently, gene-spliced plants are designed mainly to fight pests and increase yields for farmers.

``When you are talking about something like pharmaceuticals, I think all of us envision it being a carefully regulated crop. It's not going to be deregulated like we have done with Bt corn,'' said Keith Pitts, a special advisor to Glickman on biotech issues.

StarLink is a variety of Bt corn, so-named because it contains a natural pesticide known as bacillus thuringiensis.

But some U.S. crops are already being carefully separated throughout production and distribution, said Richard Rominger, deputy agriculture secretary.

Makers of specialty seeds for lawns have set up marketing channels to keep different varieties pure and clearly identified. ''We do have the capability in industry but it's never been something that the grain industry has had to deal with,'' Rominger said.

Currently, three U.S. agencies share responsibility for various aspects of bioengineered foods.

The USDA monitors the crop and environmental impacts of seed companies' field trials of new gene-modified crops. The Food and Drug Administration has jurisdiction over labeling and human safety issues related to biotech plants. And the EPA becomes involved when a plant is engineered to contain a gene that acts as a pesticide, like StarLink.

Aventis has since asked the EPA to grant temporary approval of StarLink in human food, citing what it said is new scientific data that shows the gene-spliced corn is harmless.

Engineered potatoes said to fight off fungus

November 29
Reuters

A borrowed alfalfa gene has helped potatoes fight off a fungus that causes one type of potato blight, researchers said on Wednesday.

They said it was the first time a single gene had been shown to protect a plant as well as herbicides do, and said they hoped they had found a way to use genetic engineering to protect against a range of diseases.

The researchers, based at Monsanto, an 85 percent owned subsidiary of Pharmacia Corp., based their work on the highly successful use of another gene to protect against bugs.

Many crops are now engineered to produce Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which some plants make naturally to fight insects. But nothing has been found to work against fungi, which can devastate potatoes.

Potatoes, along with rice, wheat and corn or maize, are one of the four major food crops of the world. Developing nations are turning to potatoes because they can be harvested in as little as 90 days.

One fungus, potato late blight, struck Ireland and continental Europe in the 1840s, causing at least a million people in Ireland to starve.

Late blight caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans, costs potato growers about $3 billion a year, according to the International Potato Center in Lima, Peru. Another fungus causing early blight costs an estimated $21 million to $44 million to control in the United States and Canada alone.

Other crops such as alfalfa do not fall victim to these fungal diseases. Ai-Guo Gao and colleagues at Monsanto analyzed extracts from alfalfa and isolated a peptide they called alfAFP (alfalfa antifungal peptide).

It belongs to a class of peptides called defensins and it has strong action against Verticillium dahliae, which causes ``Verticillium wilt'' or potato early dying complex.

They genetically engineered potatoes to produce alfAFP and planted them in soil infected with V. dahliae. The genetically modified potatoes survived well, they reported in the December issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology.

They have grown them in fields in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Oregon, which all have problems with fungal disease.

``There have been no previous demonstrations of a single transgene (transplanted gene) imparting ... disease resistance ... that is at least equivalent to those achieved through current practices using fumigants,'' the researchers wrote.

They also tried their new potatoes out against a fungus that causes early blight, but it did not work especially well, they reported.

More tests will have to be done to see how the transplanted gene affects the vitamin and mineral content, taste and yield of the potatoes, they said.

Monsanto has had a tough time with its genetic engineering of crops, such as its Round-Up Ready soybean that resists a weedkiller of the same name.

Bio-tech crops are popular with U.S. farmers because they offer higher yields. In Europe, activists have demonstrated against genetically engineered crops and some of the fears have transferred to U.S. consumers.

Huge news media attention has surrounded the recalls this year of 300 types of taco shells, chips and cornmeal made with StarLink corn, produced by Aventis SA. The genetically engineered corn has not been shown to cause any harm but is not approved for use in people.

Scientists with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration have said they were investigating claims that 44 Americans became ill after eating foods containing StarLink corn. But federal officials said investigators may never be able to pinpoint whether the modified maize was to blame.

USDA seeks public input on government's role in biotech marketing, announces new biotechnology research

November 29
USDA press release

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today asked the public to provide comments on what, if any, additional steps USDA should take to facilitate the marketing of biotech crops and help segregate these products from non-biotech products.

"In order to protect our domestic and foreign markets and ensure public confidence, it's essential that we improve our ability to identify and track genetically modified farm products," said Glickman, in remarks to USDA's Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology. "We want to provide a forum where the best ideas on this subject can be presented." 

A notice to be published in tomorrow's Federal Register invites public comment on how USDA should help facilitate the marketing of grains, oilseeds, fruits, vegetables and nuts in today's marketplace that  includes biotech and non-biotech crops.

Some of the questions USDA seeks comment on include - Should USDA be involved in accrediting, reviewing or certifying the performance of food company identity-preserved systems?

Should USDA establish biotech or non-biotech crop definitions as part of the current U.S. quality grades and standards?

Should USDA expand its accreditation of laboratories to detect biotech grains and oilseeds to other biotech crops?

Glickman also said that USDA's Grain Inspection Packers and  Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) will open a new biotechnology accreditation lab in Kansas City, Missouri, in January to help standardize the identification of biotechnology-derived grains. The facility will review, upon request and for a fee, laboratories testing grain for the presence of biotechnology-derived grain and will accredit those laboratories that meet performance standards.

In addition, the lab will enable GIPSA to evaluate test kits against the manufacturer's performance specifications for determining the presences of biotechnology-derived grains in bulk grain to ensure that these tests are accurate and reliable.

Glickman said USDA would move ahead with several biotechnology research projects that the Committee recommended earlier - One project will evaluate several classes of the next generation of  genetically transgenic plants -- ornamental grasses and plantation-grown trees -- with a focus on their potential impact on the environment and agriculture.

Another project is a thorough evaluation of the use of sterility systems in controlling the spread of genetically altered organisms.

The third project is a study, in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration, on USDA's role in evaluating food safety issues that might be raised by biotechnology, including how potential health risks may influence USDA's responsibilities and procedures for ensuring the safety of meat and poultry products.

Glickman created USDA's Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology last year to advise him on a broad range of issues relating to agricultural biotechnology and to bring together the many diverse voices and opinions regarding this technology. The committee is composed of a cross-section of individuals from government, academia, agri-businesses, ethicists, environmental and consumer groups.

In a further step to seek input from experts, Glickman last year also asked the National Academy of Sciences to form a Standing Committee on Biotechnology to review USDA's biotech approval process and evaluate ways in which it might be strengthened. 

USDA is one of three federal agencies, along with the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, primarily responsible for regulating biotechnology in the United States.

More information is available on the web at http://www.usda.gov/agencies/biotech/index.html.

Aventis will provide test kits to seed dealers - USDA

November 29
Reuters

Aventis SA , the maker of a biotech corn variety unapproved for human use, will send test kits to its seed corn

dealers to prevent the corn from tainting other kinds of seeds, a U.S. Agriculture Department official said on Wednesday.

Last week, Aventis disclosed that some of the unique gene-spliced protein in StarLink corn had accidentally contaminated other bags of corn seed sold by Garst Co of Iowa. 

That came on the heels of a massive recall of more than 300 kinds of taco shells, chips and other foods found to contain traces of StarLink.

``Aventis has committed to get a letter out to all seed companies in general that they are going to supply test kits for their seed,'' Keith Pitts, the USDA's top biotech expert, told reporters.

Pitts said that the source of the contamination was probably careless or sloppy handling of StarLink seed by a seed dealer, not windborne pollen from StarLink blowing into another corn field.

``They have been able to track down areas where this particular corn showed up and it seems to point to physical contamination,'' Pitts said. ``I don't think anyone has ruled out the  issue that maybe some pollination happened, but it seems to be pointing more and more toward physical contamination.'' 

The culprit appears to be StarLink seed from 1998 that was never sold. 

The contamination may have occurred when another variety of corn was being bagged in the same facility, he said. 

Seed corn growers must follow meticulous procedures in cleaning farm equipment, bins and trucks to keep corn grown for seed companies as pure as possible. The American Seed Trade Association said this week it wants standards relaxed so bags of seeds containing small amounts of gene-altered material can still be considered biotech-free.

Pitts spoke during a break at the USDA's agricultural biotech advisory committee, which is considering various issues related to plant breeding, gene flow, and handling of biotech crops. 

Aventis has asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily approve StarLink for human consumption, citing new scientific studies that it says shows the corn is harmless. Environmental and consumer groups oppose the request, contending not enough is yet known about whether StarLink can trigger human allergies.

StarLink approval would affect 7 million bushels of US corn - USDA

November 28
Reuters

About 7 million bushels of this year's U.S. corn crop would be affected if the Environmental Protection Agency lifts its ban on StarLink bio-corn in the human food supply, a U.S. Agriculture Department official said on Tuesday.

Steve Gill, an official with the USDA's Farm Service Agency, said the 7 million bushels represent all varieties of corn that left U.S. farms this year and are at risk of being contaminated with small amounts of StarLink corn.

StarLink is currently allowed only in corn destined for animal feed or ethanol production because of concerns it might cause allergic reactions in humans. The EPA appointed a panel of independent scientists to assess claims by Aventis SA , maker of StarLink, that new data show the bio-corn is no risk to human health.

Although the amount of StarLink corn grown is less than one percent  of total U.S. corn, some of the crop was accidentally commingled with other varieties by farmers, grain elevators, shippers and foodmakers. That led to the recall of some 300 kinds of chips, taco shells, corn meal and other foods during the past two months.

Gill, who compiles a weekly report on U.S. corn in storage, said a total of 82.6 million bushels of American corn was ``at risk'' from StarLink contamination this year. Of that amount, 75.6 million bushels can be easily accounted for in storage on U.S. farms.

That leaves about 7 million bushels of corn that have entered the marketing and distribution system, he said.

The USDA also carefully tracks what U.S. farmers do with their corn. Gill estimated about 41.9 million bushels of this year's total corn crop would be kept by farmers to feed their own livestock, self-marketed to ethanol or animal feed production plants, or sold to the department's Commodity Credit Corp.

``We've estimated at this time probably less than 2 million bushels'' will be sold by American farmers to the Commodity Credit Corp, he added.

Gill also said that any corn found to contain traces of StarLink is strictly segregated, and sealed in storage bins, rail cars or barges. The USDA then affixes a large sticker, indicating that the corn cannot be used for human food.

The panel of scientists must give to the EPA on Friday its recommendation whether StarLink still poses a risk to human health. Aventis, Franco-German pharmaceuticals maker, wants the EPA to grant a four-year approval of StarLink for human food to clear all the corn from grain bins, food processors, grocery stores and consumer pantries. 

Some environmentalist groups, which contend not enough is yet known about StarLink's impact on health, told the panel that approval of the corn would tempt many growers or grain handlers to remove segregated StarLink and sell it on the open market.

William Jordan of the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs, said the agency could choose to grant approval for only that StarLink corn yet unaccounted for, and ban the use of any segregated corn in human food.