Leffler Professional Writing Services
Click to Crop Contaminated Corn Consumption
by Lee Leffler
Published in The Fairfield Weekly Reader, Thursday, November 16 - Wednesday, November 29, 2000. Volume 9, Number 43.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently accepting public comment on approving StarLinkŪ corn for human consumption.
The whole corn industry is in a crisis over the genetically engineered StarLink corn. Aventis CropScience, the makers of StarLink, found that their special corn-borer-resistant corn may have allergenic properties, and could, theoretically, cause allergic reactions when people eat it. Aventis has not yet provided the EPA with "conclusive scientific evidence of the product's safety." The EPA approved StarLink for animal and industrial use only.
However, in October, Friends of the Earth asked Fairfield's own GeneticID to test supermarket Taco BellŪ brand taco shells for StarLink corn. GeneticID found the StarLink gene. Several corn products were quickly recalled. Corn is being tested, and "StarLink contaminated" corn is directed out of the food supply. Grain elevators, farmers, and processors are frantic. Farmers claim they were not warned, and grain elevators were not prepared to split the corn crop. The situation is costing millions of dollars to resolve.
The EPA is charged with ensuring food safety. Their solution is to propose that StarLink be approved for human consumption "expeditiously." In fact, public comment will be accepted only until November 27. A decision will be made mid-December.
People who would like to make comments to the EPA on this subject can write (before November 27, 2000) to:
EPA Administrator Carol Browner
Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB)
Information Resources and Services Division (7502C)
Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP)
Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20460
RE: Docket No. PF-867B
Special to the Web - For more information on Genetically Engineered Foods:
The Alliance for Bio-Integriy is preparing a lawsuit that would force the government to label these foods, based on religious and moral freedom. Write to P.O. Box 2927, Iowa City, Iowa 52244-2927. Phone: (641) 472-5554. On the web: http://www.bio-integrity.org/
Mothers for Natural Law is heading the American Campaign to Ban Genetically Engineered Foods and the Consumer Right-to-know Initiative for Mandatory Labeling. Mothers for Natural Law, P.O. Box 1177, Fairfield, Iowa 52556. Phone: (641) 472-2809. On the web: http://www.safe-food.org/
GE Food Alert (National Petition)
Friends of the Earth
The State PIRGs
Organic Consumers Accociation
The National Environmental Trust
Pesticide Action Network - North America
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
Center for Food Safety
Ph: (213) 251-3680/(202) 877-8800
Fax: (213) 251-3699/(202) 887-8880
www.gefoodalert.org
Congressional Bills
The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods
Ph: (425) 771-4049
Fax: (603) 825-5841
www.thecampaign.org
True Food
Greenpeace
www.truefoodnow.org
(800) 326-0959
(Links below are from www.safe-food.org)
BioDemocracy/Organic Consumers Association—formerly "The
Campaign for Food Safety":
www.organicconsumers.org/
Consumers Union—food-safety page:
http://www.consumersunion.org/i/Food_Safety/
European Gen-Ethics Network:
www.netlink.de/gen/home.html
Friends of the Earth US and UK GE pages:
www.foe.co.uk/camps/foodbio/genepress.html
Genetic Engineering and its Dangers by Prof. R. Epstein:
http://online.sfsu.edu/%7Erone/GEessays/gedanger.htm
Genetic ID—genetic testing for the food industry:
www.genetic-id.com/
Genetically Modified Foods—UK news and info:
www.connectotel.com/gmfood/
Natuurwetmoeders—Mothers for Natural Law, Netherlands:
www.natuurwetmoeders.nl
Norfolk Genetic Information Network (UK):
members.tripod.com/~ngin/
Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and
Technology—A global network presently focused on genetic engineering:
www.psrast.org
ETC Group (Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration):
www.etcgroup.org
The Campaign to label genetically engineered food:
www.thecampaign.org
Union of Concerned Scientists:
www.ucsusa.org
Other articles on genetic engineering by Lee Leffler:
"Genetically Engineered Harvest: Do Consumers Have the Right to Know What's in Their Food?," The Iowa Source, October, 1997, page 29-31 (3 pages). In print and on-line at http://www.leeleffler.com/iasourcegmo.html
"Your Food is Genetically Altered," IndZine (California), July 1997, page 54-56 (2 pages). In print and on-line at http://www.leeleffler.com/indzine.html
Lee Leffler, "The Newsletter Gal" |
