Aventis Suspends Bt Corn Seed Sales

Aventis CropScience, Research Triangle Park, N.C., has suspended sales of its genetically engineered StarLink brand corn seed. This is the first time a transgenic seed has voluntarily been withdrawn from the market in response to safety concerns. And Kraft Foods and the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) are seeking stricter federal regulation of biotechnology crop products. StarLink corn has been approved for use in animal feed but not yet for human consumption. It was detected in Taco Bell taco shells in mid-September (C&EN, Sept 25, page 13). A coalition of environmental, consumer, and health groups had commissioned Genetic DD, an independent testing firm in Fairfield, Iowa, to test the taco shells. Genetic ID found that 1% of the corn in the samples is StarLink. A few days later, Kraft Foods, the distributor of the taco shells, reported similar results from separate tests of the shells and promptly recalled the product from grocery store shelves. StarLink, ...