September headlines

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'GM tacos' recalled

September 25
BBC

A food scare in the United States has led to millions of taco shells - one of the country's favorite fast foods - being withdrawn from supermarkets and restaurants.

It follows the discovery that the tacos contained genetically-modified corn that had not been approved for human consumption.

The discovery was made by an environmental lobby group called Genetically-engineered Food Alert, which tested some of the shells in a Washington suburb.

They were found to contain traces of a corn called StarLink, which is genetically embedded with a pesticide.

Allergies

The government has deemed the corn fit for animal consumption only, out of concerns that the pesticide could cause allergies in humans.

Without waiting for a government order, Kraft Foods ordered all shells to be withdrawn from stores.

The popular Taco Bell chain of restaurants, which gets its shells from the same corn-grower in Mexico as Kraft Foods, has also begun replacing its supplies.

A spokesman for Kraft complained that farmers should not be allowed to grow bio-tech crops which have not been approved for human consumption.

Up to now, criticism of these crops has been more muted in the US than in Europe, but taco shells are popular and this incident will make many people here much more aware of the issue.

Indian farmers urge 10-year moratorium on GM agriculture

September 25
Agence France Presse

The tribunal came out with 13 recommendations after listening to farmers from across India who spelt our their woes arising from the industrialization of agriculture and patents on seeds.

The five-member tribunal, consisting of retired judges and representatives of farm bodies, said the role of foreign companies in seed production and distribution must be "balanced with liabilities and responsibilities."

"The public seed sector which is being dismantled needs to be strengthened with a focus on research and development and farmers' participation," they said.

Farmers told the tribunal that sales of genetically modified seeds by private and multinational companies had resulted in crop failures, leading some debt-ridden farmers to commit suicide.

"Strict punishment should be awarded to persons who are involved in the trade and distribution of spurious agri-chemicals," the tribunal said, after farmers testified that large-scale pesticide use had resulted in poisoned drinking water and deaths.

The farmers' associations slammed corporate control over agriculture and said they were against genetically modified seeds being sold to farmers by foreign companies such as US-based Kargill Seeds and Monsanto.

"A moratorium should be imposed for a period of 10 years on the commercialization of genetic engineering in food and farming in India," the tribunal said.

Vandana Shiva, an Indian ecologist, said the seeds had ruined India's traditional seed varieties and reduced yields.

"Traditional rights of the farmers to freely conserve, develop, use, share and exchange their seeds are fundamental rights which cannot be alienated by any intellectual property law," the tribunal said, referring to the patents awarded to private firms to make seeds.

Monsanto has been in the thick of controversy in India after the government cleared a plan for trials of genetically engineered cotton seeds despite opposition from non-governmental forums.

French anti-globalization campaigner Jose Bove who addressed foreign and Indian delegates before the tribunal's verdict said it was important for farmers all over the world to fight the multinational seed companies.

"This is for the first time probably, I see farmers from all over the world coming together and discussing together to defend their own seeds," Bove said.

Bove, who achieved notoriety in August after his verbal and physical attacks on a McDonalds restaurant in his hometown of Millau, said he had met the director of Monstanto in France and told him to leave the country.

"We told him we do not need you anymore. You can take the next plane back. Our struggle has been a non-violent one. If there are any (genetic) tests conducted by any company we will destroy their seeds," Bove said.

"It is very important in our fight to be together. Farmers from the US, India, Africa must all come together. I believe only then can we win against big corporations," he added.

USDA says better job needed in segregating biotech crops

September 25
Reuters

WASHINGTON - Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said Monday that Kraft Foods Inc's recall of taco shells containing an unapproved biotech corn variety showed the government has to do a better job of segregating gene-spliced grains and commodities.

``We've got to do a better job of segregating those commodities to make sure that...we basically protect people from things that haven't been approved,'' Glickman told reporters after speaking at a hunger forum.

He also praised the Food and Drug Administration for keeping a close eye on the situation.

``The FDA is monitoring the situation very closely, very carefully,'' Glickman said. ``I don't think there is any public health and safety issue here but the fact is the product has not been approved for human consumption. It should not be served.''

Kraft announced the recall on Friday after finding evidence that a variety of Bt corn approved only for animal feed was in some taco shells it manufactured. The corn has not been allowed in human food because of scientists' worry that it might be an allergen.

The USDA, FDA and Environmental Protection Agency share responsibility for regulating biotech foods. The USDA has authority over farm field testing of new biotech crops, while the EPA is responsible for evaluating crops that have been genetically altered to repel pests.

The FDA is now finalizing rules that will mandate consultations between agency scientists and food companies developing new varieties of gene-spliced products. Currently, those consultations are voluntary.

The agency is also working on guidelines for food manufacturers who want to add a label indicating whether a food does or does not contain a gene-modified ingredient.

Another speaker at the hunger meeting, the Rockefeller Foundation's Gordan Conway, said the U.S. government should require labels on genetically modified food.

``I believe there is a large consumer demand for it. It's as simple as that,'' said the head of the philanthropic group which supports the development of biotech crops to help improve yields in the Third World.

Conway also said he did not believe biotech food presented any ``serious health hazard.''

Sharper oversight for biofoods

Costly recall of taco shells points up need for smarter FDA rules on production and marketing of genetically modified foods

September 25
Los Angeles Times editorial

The costly recall of Taco Bell brand taco shells mistakenly manufactured with a small amount of genetically modified animal-feed grain should prompt sharper oversight of the rapidly growing but virtually unregulated genetically modified food industry. The taco shells--recalled by their distributor, Kraft Foods, on Friday--included a type of bioengineered corn, StarLink, that contains a pest-repelling protein that is potentially a human allergen.

The genetically modified feed corn could have been mixed into taco grain during shipping or storage. There is no evidence that anyone has been harmed. Still, it seems careless to allow the grain, the only one of its type not approved for human consumption, to be stored and handled with little requirement for separation or labeling.

U.S. attitudes about genetically modified foods, even after the recall, are still far from the horror at "Frankenfoods" that pervades Europe, but for how long?

Even Kraft called on the FDA to develop tests to detect genetically modified ingredients before allowing them on the market. A sensible step, but the agency's labs are currently unable to detect specific DNA in processed foods, and the agency's bureaucracy is even more backward than its science. The StarLink corn in the taco shells was detected by a consumer group's scientists, not the FDA.

In May the FDA released a proposal asking biotechnology companies to consider voluntary labeling of genetically modified ingredients and to give the FDA more notice before releasing new products. That does not really amount to much oversight.

The taco shell problem should not lend credence to environmental extremists who wrongly claim that GM (genetically modified) foods are by definition dangerous. The group that staged a destructive raid at a UC San Diego agricultural lab last month, for instance, is on the fringe of objection to GM foods, and its criminal vandalism should be punished with swift, tough sanctions. A bill that Gov. Gray Davis signed into law earlier this month, doubling the fines levied against people caught destroying research crops, should help discourage vandalism.

Nevertheless, the Kraft recall is one illustration of the need to establish public confidence. Another is a study published earlier this month in the journal Science, in which British researchers suggested that a new biotech crop engineered to kill weeds could starve the skylark; this tuneful bird, beloved in English poetry, eats mainly weed seeds.

A report on GM foods that the Environmental Defense Fund and the National Academy of Sciences released in April offers a blueprint for responsible regulation. The report found no proof that genetically modified foods then on the market were unsafe--after all, at least 60% of processed foods on store shelves today have genetically modified ingredients. But the report did call for improvements, including better labeling and testing to assess the potential of foreign genes to trigger allergies.

The Taco Bell shells accounted for about half of the $100 million in sales generated by the brand last year. The economic cost alone means state and federal officials can no longer afford to watch the growth of the genetically modified food industry from the sidelines.

Concern surfaces over taco recall

September 24
AP

ST. LOUIS - Just down the block from biotech ground zero - the headquarters of Monsanto Co., which helps produce biotech foods - the Beddos shopped for groceries.

Israel Beddo had heard about Kraft recalling taco shells because of a particular type of bioengineered corn, but didn't think much about it. His wife, Krista, on the other hand, was well aware of the issue as she held their one-year-old daughter.

``I think they ought to leave nature alone,'' she said. ``There is a reason food grows like it does.''

Kraft Foods recalled Taco Bell-brand shells after tests showed they were made with a variety of genetically engineered corn that isn't approved for human consumption because of questions about whether it could cause allergic reactions.

Hours after Friday's recall, people shopping for dinner in St. Louis expressed support for biotechnology - but growing apprehension.

``It's probably (used) a lot more than we know, particularly in the produce,'' said Diane Joiner, 41, a second-grade teacher from St. Louis.

She was shopping with her two children at a Schnuck's Supermarket in Richmond Heights, Mo., where the recalled shells were still on the shelf Friday night. Joiner said the recall scared her, not so much because of the genetically modified corn but because it reminded her how little she knows about the food she buys.

``It's never advertised blatantly,'' Joiner said. ``You might hear a blurb on the news one day, and never hear anything else another day. I would like to know. ... But I don't think they tell you everything.''

Most Americans aren't even aware of biotech foods in the supermarket, according to a study commissioned by the International Food Information Council, which is funded in part by biotechnology companies. Of those surveyed in May, only 43 percent said biotech products are in stores.

In reality, about 50 percent of the nation's corn acreage was planted with genetically modified seed this year, said Scarlett Foster, a spokeswoman for St. Louis-based Monsanto.

Fifty-nine percent of soybeans and 61 percent of cotton were grown from genetically modified seed. The vast majority of those biotech crops are grown from Monsanto seed, she said.

The International Food Information Council found that over the last three years support in for biotech products in the United States has dropped. In 1997, 79 percent of those surveyed felt biotechnology would benefit themselves or their families. That slipped to 75 percent in February 1999, to 63 percent in October 1999, and was down to 59 percent this May.

The corn involved in the taco shell recall is produced by Aventis Corp. It contains a bacterium gene that makes the corn toxic to an insect pest, and is one of the least-used varieties of biotech corn. It's also the only genetically engineered crop of any kind not approved for food use.

Foster said Monsanto has a long-standing policy against producing any biotech products that are not designed for human consumption, as well as a policy forbidding the insertion of a human or animal gene into a plant.

That's not enough for Ed Fink, 35, an information services manager at a telecommunications company who did his shopping Friday in Ladue, Mo., at Wild Oats Market, an organic food store that doesn't knowingly sell any genetically modified product.

Shopping at the same store, Washington University student Nicole Lovenduski said biotech food ``doesn't really bother me.'' She is returning to school in St. Louis after spending a semester in London, where public opinion is decidedly anti-biotechnology.

``It was on the news, it was like the main event, when someone found some crops that had been genetically engineered,'' she said.

Justine McBride, also a student at Washington, believes biotechnology can be dangerous - but at the same time she can see its advantages. For example, European researchers have developed rice with extra beta carotene that's advertised as a way to save millions of children in developing nations from blindness or diseases like diarrhea and childhood measles.

``I'm confused about that,'' McBride said. ``It's hard to argue with, but in principle I'm against the bioengineering of anything.''

Shoppers opposed to GM crops for animals

September 24
Ananova.com (UK)

Shoppers are opposed to farm animals being fed on genetically modified crops, a new survey shows.

The Greenpeace poll found that 67% of those questioned opposed the use of GM crops in animal feed, while 26% said it should continue.

More than half of the people interviewed - 55% - said they did not want to eat animal products such as meat, eggs, milk and cheese from animals fed on GM crops.

The survey also showed that 90% of respondents wanted products from animals fed on GM crops to be clearly labeled.

The NOP phone poll of 1,001 people aged 15 and over was carried out between September 1 and 3.

A Greenpeace spokesman said: "The results of the survey will have serious implications for supermarkets which are already beginning to reject GM-fed animal products.

"Iceland is intending to be entirely free of GM-fed animal products by this month, while other supermarket chains are making strenuous efforts to source non-GM supplies."

Monsanto's plan to sway GM debate

Secret papers reveal bid to use scientists as publicity pawns

September 24
The Observer (UK)

Secret details of GM giant Monsanto's attempts to influence the international debate on GM crops have been revealed in classified internal company documents obtained by the Observer. The 10-page Monsanto report written by the firm this spring and stamped confidential, discloses how Monsanto has got pro-GM supporters into influential positions on key international food safety committees and built up a network of independent scientists it calls on to write articles attacking GM critics.

The document described Monsanto's activities in 20 countries and environmental groups say it shows how Monsanto is ' buying influence and subverting the scientific agenda around the world.'

Some of the most controversial parts of the documents involve the firm's secretive ' scientific outreach team'. The report reveals this team:

* was ' instrumental in assuring' that GM supporters got on to a food safety consultation run by the United Nations and World Health Organization. The document states this produced reports ' very supportive of plant biotechnology'.

* ' averted attacks on recently emerging biotechnology issues' which included reports warning that alien genes used in the genetic modification of crops could jump the species barrier and mutate with bacteria present in the intestines of bees. As part of its strategy, ' two op-eds, (articles) on the honeybee issue by notable scientists were triggered ' to stem further hostile press coverage. It does not reveal who the scientists were.

* has started targeting US doctors and trainee doctors in attempts to convince them their products are safe.

The document states the firm has lobbied Harvard medical students and ' an editorial was drafted by Dr John Thomas ,( emeritus professor of University of Texas Medical School) to place in a medical journal as the first in a plan series of outreach efforts ' to doctors. In addition ' a meeting was held with Professor David Khayat an internationally well-known cancer specialist, to collaborate on an article demonstrating the absence of links between GM foods and cancers'.

One of the most contentious parts of Monsanto's operation is in Thailand. The document reveals how the company has secretly supported a government laboratory set up in the country to certify that Thai exports to Europe are GM free. Monsanto which has help to train technicians, makes clear that the reason for the company's cooperation is because the laboratory director, Dr Pakdi, is a key player in international Codex activities'.

Codex is the key UN organization responsible for setting food safety standards.

Monsanto also confirms that it has been successful in lobbying the UN committee on food safety to ensure that food labeling in Third World countries can be voluntary , not compulsory.

The documents, that suggest that they have virtually given up trying to influence the debate in the UK, have outraged critics of Monsanto. Dr Sue Meyer , director of GeneWatch, said " This leaked report shows how desperate Monsanto is to save it's business, it is particularly worrying how the company have stepped up activity in developing countries".

"While Monsanto claim they want to engage in dialogue it is quite clear from this report that this is just window dressing for a behind the scences campaign to promote their products come what may".

Peter Riley, GM campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said ,"It proves what has long been suspected about Monsanto's lobbying power. It is particularly worrying that scientists appear happy to write art6icles at Monsanto's behest. We now know that they are using all means possible to influence the debate in every continent on the planet, apart from Antartica."

Monsanto moved quickly to deny that they were acting improperly.

A statement released by the company said "The report demonstrates the extensive effort that Monsanto invests to ensure that we comply with the stringent and evolving regulation and regulatory requirements for every Monsanto product around the world. It also demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that the safety of plant biotechnology products is subject to the scrutiny of internationally recognized scientists to ensure sound, state of the art, science based risk assessment and enhance public confidence in these products."

New blow to GM as big stores extend their ban

September 24
The Independent (UK)

Supermarket chains are striking a potentially fatal blow at GM food in Britain by refusing to sell meat, eggs and dairy products from animals fed on modified crops.

The development slashes the crops' biggest remaining market and marks another severe blow for the biotech industry, following Greenpeace's surprise court victory last week.

Twenty-eight Greenpeace supporters, led by Lord Melchett, were found not guilty of causing criminal damage after they destroyed part of an experimental crop of GM maize in Norfolk earlier this year.

It also coincides with an opinion poll which shows that more than two-thirds of Britons believe that GM crops should be banned from animal feed.

While the main supermarket and food manufacturers have already banned the direct use of GM crops in their own breads, cakes, ice cream and other products, until now they have been willing to sell meat and dairy products from animals fed on them.

But an internal report from the US government shows that exports of American soya beans to Britain have fallen by more than half in the last two years and are continuing to fall.

The report, by the US Department of Agriculture, blames "the hysteria surrounding genetically engineered (GE) food" in Britain for the decline. It adds: "Supermarkets are becoming increasingly keen to ensure that livestock is fed GE-free rations, threatening the multi-million dollar US soybean export trade with the UK."

Greenpeace has received commitments from most supermarkets to phase out GM-fed meat.

As the table below shows, different chains are at different stages in the process, but almost all have at least begun it. The furthest advanced is Iceland, which two years ago was the first to remove GM ingredients from its products. Earlier this year it announced that all its "livestock for meat production would be reared on a non-GM diet" from then on.

Iceland took the unusual step for a supermarket chain of buying 6,000 tons of non-GM soya earlier this year to help its suppliers make the conversion and says customers will not be paying any more as a result of it.

Asda, Marks and Spencer, Tesco and CWS/Co-op all say that they are planning to eliminate GM-fed meat as soon as possible, and other chains are at least investigating banning it or introducing some non-GM fed products. Only Somerfield says its policy is currently to allow the use of genetically modified crops as animal feed, although already one of its suppliers is avoiding them.

Greenpeace admits that there are no known health risks to people from meat reared on GM crops. But it is aiming to stop their release into the environment and its campaign is aimed at "closing down the market" for them in Britain. Blake Lee-Harwood, the group's communications director, said last week: "The supermarkets are stampeding to get out before the public cottons on to what is going on."

An NOP poll commissioned by the pressure group shows that 67 per cent of Britons want a ban on GM crops being fed to livestock, and that 55 per cent do not want to eat meat, eggs or dairy products from animals that have eaten them. Ninety per cent of respondents said that any products from animals that had been GM-fed should be labeled as such.

Corn growers support Kraft's taco recall

September 23
National Corn Growers Association press release

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) respects and supports Kraft Food Co.'s announcement Friday to voluntarily withdraw Taco Bell Home Original taco shells from grocery store shelves. Kraft took the action in the wake of claims that the taco shells contained corn carrying StarLink, a type of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) not yet approved for food markets. Corn with StarLink Bt, produced by Aventis Crop Science, has EPA approval for use in feed and industrial uses. Food use is pending. All other Bt corn hybrids grown and sold in the U.S. have governmental approval for both food and feed use. 

"We share the concern of Kraft, consumers, and the U.S. regulatory agencies in addressing the possible appearance of a not-yet-approved product in food channels. At stake is the reputation and integrity of U.S. corn farmers and the food they produce," said Roger Pine, a farmer from Lawrence, Kan., and chairman of the 32,000-member National Corn Growers Association. Pine also serves on the USDA Advisory Committee on Agricultural Biotechnology, a panel of 38 people that advises the Ag Secretary on biotechnology policy. 

"We understand that lab tests are continuing in order to confirm or deny the presence of StarLink DNA. The presence of Cry9C, the StarLink type of Bt, in the tacos, if proven, would indicate a significant breach in the license to use StarLink," said Pine. "Until that question can be answered conclusively, we support Kraft's voluntary withdrawal of the taco shells. 

"If tests confirm StarLink's presence, we will work diligently with food companies and regulatory agencies to help identify and correct any flaws in the supply chain," Pine continued. "And, if tests show the tacos don't contain StarLink, we'll help Kraft restock the shelves." 

Pine emphasized that this action is occurring because StarLink has allegedly been found in products for which it has not yet been approved. 

"There is no evidence of allergenicity with the StarLink products. Furthermore, StarLink's use in food has not been rejected by the federal government's approval process but instead is awaiting approval," he noted. 

Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., the organization has been a strong supporter of the U.S. regulatory agencies and systems that approve these and other products. 

"We will continue to back the rules and regulations required to use this and other technologies. We are committed to meeting these requirements to guarantee the trust and confidence of consumers -- whether they are in the U.S., Japan, Europe or anywhere -- in the safety and wholesomeness of our food supply." 

Pine added that NCGA continues to support the availability and accessibility of biotechnology crops. 

"We support the commercial release of new hybrids created with the use of biotechnology or conventional breeding that have received full approval from all relevant U.S. regulatory agencies," he stated.

"Those agencies should expedite the process for reviewing and approving agricultural biotechnology products for use in feed and food. This can be accomplished without sacrificing the rigorous standards consumers expect and deserve.

"We have a sound, safe, abundant food supply," he concluded, "and we will work hard to reassure consumers that biotechnology products are safe and will be handled in accordance with federal regulations and manufacturer recommendations."