The StarLink recalled corn occurred in the fall of 2000, when more than 300 food products were found to contain genetically engineered corn that has not yet been approved for human consumption. It was the first memory of genetically modified food. The coalition of anti-GMO activists, General Fooded Alert Engineer, who detects and first reports on contamination, is critical of the FDA for not doing its job. The recall of taco shellfish Taco Bell, produced by Kraft Foods and sold in supermarkets, is the most publicized of the recall. One settlement made $ 60 million for Taco Bell's franchise for lost sales because of damage to the Taco Bell brand.
Video StarLink corn recall
jagung StarLink
StarLink is a genetically engineered corn, containing two modifications: a gene for resistance to glufosinate, and a variant of bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protein called Cry9C. Cry9C has not been used in GM crops before StarLink, leading to high regulatory oversight. The creator of StarLink, Plant Genetic Systems, who later became Aventis CropScience during the time of the incident, has filed an application with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to market StarLink for use in animal feed and human food supplies. However, since the Cry9C protein is left in the digestive tract before it is damaged, the EPA has concerns about its allergens, and PGS does not provide enough data to prove that Cry9C does not cause allergies. As a result, PGS divides its application into separate permits for use in food and is used only for animal feed. StarLink was approved by the EPA for use in animal feed only in May 1998. After the incident the company initially tried to get the application for human consumption approved, and then pulled the product entirely from the market.
The Garst Seed Company (part of Advanta Group) is licensed by Aventis to produce and sell StarLink seeds in the US.
Maps StarLink corn recall
Product reminder
In 2000, Genetically Engineered Food Notices were launched by seven organizations (the Food Safety Center, Friends of the Earth, the Agricultural and Trade Policy Institute, the National Environmental Trust, the Organic Consumer Association, the North American Pesticide Action Network, and the PIRG Country) to lobby FDA, Congress, and companies to ban or stop using GMOs. One of their activities is testing food for the presence of GMOs through a laboratory called Genetic ID, vice president Jeffrey M. Smith.
On September 18, 2000, Genetically Engineered Food Alert released a statement that the Genetic ID had tested the "Taco Bell Home Originals" brand of taco shells, made by Kraft Foods that had been purchased at a grocery store near Washington, DC, and had detected StarLink; the story was reported by The Washington Post. Kraft distributed the Taco Taco branded shells under a 1996 license agreement with Taco Bell.
Kraft bought shellfish from Sabritas factory in Mexicali using flour supplied from an Azteca mill in Plainview, Texas. The Texas plant uses flour from six countries supplied by an elevator that does not separate genetically modified corn and is conventionally grown at that time. Kraft also discontinued production of withdrawn products. "We all - the government, the industry, and the scientific community - need to work to prevent this kind of situation from happening again," said Betsy Holden, Kraft's chief executive in September 2000. He also stated that food security and legal compliance are Kraft's top priorities.
Safeway then announced that he would remember his brand's taco shells on the consumer group's recommendation on October 12, 2000. This was done as a precaution, and no confirmed StarLink could be found in any of those products. On October 13 and 14, Mission Foods volunteered to attract about 300 product. On October 22, 2000 it was reported that Kellogg's had shut down the plant as a precaution because they could not guarantee that StarLink starch meal had not been supplied to the plant.
On October 26, 2000, StarLink corn was reportedly found in Japan and South Korea. The market and distribution network for maize in the US was thrown up until 2001, since there was no means available to separate the wheat; the chaos finally eased because the Aventis testing and buy-back program is discussed below.
Aventis recall/buyback
In January 2001 under a written agreement with 17 US states, Aventis started a program called the StarLink Enhanced Stewardship (SES) program, in which StarLink corn, corn buffets, and corn stored in grain elevators that have been mixed with StarLink, will be purchased by Aventis and directed to animal feed and use of non-food industries (eg ethanol production); this program includes a free kit to test StarLink, and covers the cost of cleaning equipment, transportation, and storage facilities, as well as increased transportation costs. Aventis estimates it costs between $ 100 million to $ 1 billion.
It is estimated that because StarLink corn wheat mixing could exist in more than 50% of the US corn supply and that overall, the StarLink incident suppressed US corn prices by around 7% for about a year.
Aftermath
After recall, 51 people reported adverse effects on the FDA; these reports were reviewed by the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which determined that 28 of them may be related to StarLink. The CDC studied the blood of these 28 people and concluded there was no evidence of reactions experienced by these people associated with hypersensitivity to StarLink Bt protein.
The EPA was criticized by Joseph Mendelson III of the Center for Food Safety, who said "Obviously they have not done anything here until they become embarrassed." The EPA and Aventis were also criticized for statements on withdrawals indicating that they did not know such a thing would happen. "If there is a violation of our licensing process, then we will have a great deal of attention," attributed to Stephen Johnson of the EPA. Margaret Gadsby of Aventis was quoted as saying, "We have trouble imagining how our corn could end up in human food supplies."
The registration for the StarLink variety was voluntarily withdrawn by Aventis in October 2000. In February 2001, it was announced that the president, general adviser, and vice president of market development for Aventis CropScience (USA), had been dismissed in response to a recall..
In June 2001 Tricon Global Restaurants, 20% of Taco Bell owners at the time, announced a $ 60 million settlement with several suppliers of taco supermarket chips; under the terms of their settlement can not reveal the identity of the supplier. Tricon stated that the settlement would go to the Taco Bell franchise and Tricon would not accept any of it. Tricon also announced that, together with suppliers and franchisees, would initiate litigation against the party responsible for StarLink entering the food chain.
In September 2001, a group of about 5,000 Taco Bell franchises and a handful of taco shell suppliers brought a class action lawsuit against Aventis, Garst Seed Co.; Gruma Corp. ("the largest producer and distributor of corn flour and tortillas in the United States, and Azteca Milling seeking damages.) The lawsuit was voluntarily dismissed in December 2001.
In 2002, Aventis, Garst, Kraft Foods, Azteca Foods, Azteca Milling and Mission Foods resolved the lawsuit filed by two people, and the grandmother of one-third, who claimed to have an allergic reaction to StarLink for $ 9 million.
In 2002, non-governmental organizations claimed that aid sent by the United Nations and the United States to Central American countries also contained StarLink maize. The countries involved, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala refused to accept the aid.
In 2003, farmers who did not plant StarLink suffered economic losses due to the price of corn being pressured after StarLink withdrew a class action lawsuit against Aventis and Advanta for $ 100 million.
GeneWatch UK and Greenpeace International established the GM Contamination List in 2005 by calling this withdrawal as one of the "highlights" of the list.
The US corn supply is monitored by the Federal Grain Inspection Service for the presence of StarLink Bt protein from 2001 to 2010.
Incident later
In August 2013, StarLink maize was reportedly found again contaminating some food in Saudi Arabia.
See also
- Control of genetically modified organisms and escape
- Fair Rules of Packing and Labeling (AS)
- Genetically modified food controversy
- Release of genetically engineered organism
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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