Allergy-causing Taco Bell taco shells found in groceries
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- A form of biotech corn not allowed in food because
of concerns it could trigger allergies has been detected in grocery store Taco
Bell taco shells, a coalition of biotech critics is to announce Tuesday, The
Washington Post reported Monday.
The type of corn, produced by Aventis Corp. and called StarLink, was approved by
federal authorities in 1998 as an animal feed. But because the corn has been
genetically modified in a way that makes it more difficult to break down in the
human gut, the agencies have refused to approve it for human use.
The possibility that the modified corn made it into food products anyway has
federal officials concerned, with several calling the development "very serious"
if confirmed by further testing, the paper reported.
"If there has been a violation of our licensing process, then we would have a
very great concern," said Stephen Johnson, an assistant administrator for
pesticides at the Environmental Protection Agency. "Likewise, we would want to
make sure we are completely protecting the public health."
Officials at the Food and Drug Administration, who called the possible presence
of StarLink corn in human food "unlawful," told the Post that the agency has
already started an investigation.
If the tests are confirmed, they will surely raise the volume in the already
contentious debate over biotech foods, which in recent years have become
commonplace in American grocery stores. While most of the country's political,
scientific and commercial establishment has embraced biotechnology as safe and
useful, activists continue to raise questions about its use and hope to inspire
the kind of widespread backlash now present in Europe.
The group that had the taco shells tested--the Genetically Engineered Food
Alert--has asked the FDA to recall the products immediately, the Post reported.
"This corn is absolutely not supposed to be in our food, but an independent lab
found it there anyway," said Larry Bohlen of Friends of the Earth, a member of
the coalition. "This shows a major regulatory failure and raises some real human
health concerns."
The group said this first finding was potentially "the tip of an iceberg," and
that it could be in many other products as well. Samples of taco shells from
Taco Bell restaurants will also be tested soon, group members said. |
