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Strategies & Market Trends : VOLTAIRE'S PORCH-MODERATED -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Voltaire who wrote (9190)	10/21/2000 3:10:23 PM
From: T L Comiskey	Respond to of 65232

Stop the Presses........ Biotech Breakfast? Report: Kellogg Shuts Plant Over Genetically Modified Grain Fears The Associated Press W A S H I N G T O N, Oct. 21 — The Kellogg Co., the maker of Frosted Flakes and Special K cereals and other products, has shut down a plant because it could not guarantee corn used in production would be free of a genetically modified grain approved only for animal consumption, The Washington Post reported today. Two food industry sources familiar with the situation told the Post that the food giant, based in Battle Creek, Mich., had stopped production at the plant in midweek, and one said it remains closed. The location of the plant was not specified. Kellogg officials would not confirm the shutdown. Spokeswoman Chris Ervin told the Post the company “doesn’t discuss production schedules for competitive reasons.” Big grain suppliers are unable to certify that their corn is not mixed with the gene-altered corn linked to a nationwide recall of taco shells. Called StarLink, the corn apparently was mixed with non-engineered corn in multiple sites around the country in violation of federal regulations. The corn was not approved for human consumption because of questions about its potential to cause allergic reactions. Federal officials describe the health risk as remote; Starlink is approved only for animal food or industrial uses. Aventis CropScience, which makes the corn, is trying to recover 9 million bushels of the grain that may be headed to food companies. The Food and Drug Administration is testing a variety of other corn products. Officials said StarLink has been found only in taco shells so far. Move Follows Kraft Recall Kraft Foods issued a nationwide recall Sept. 22 of taco shells it sells under the Taco Bell brand name after similar tests confirmed the presence of the corn. Safeway Inc. removed taco shells from its stores Oct. 11 after learning of test results that showed they may contain the biotech corn. Subsequently, Texas-based Mission Foods Co. voluntarily recalled all its tortillas, taco shells and snack chips made with yellow corn. A sister company, Azteca Milling, announced it was recalling all its flour made from yellow corn. Government officials said the StarLink problems have begun to prevent exporters from fulfilling contracts with overseas companies, which often demand that products be free of engineered foods. The White House has been in regular contact with officials from the four federal agencies involved in overseeing genetically engineered food. Their latest conference call was Thursday, the Post said. An array of issues were addressed, including if the substance is traceable, the food supply infiltration and the potential impact on exports. The administration is hoping for a meeting Monday so agency officials can brief European Union officials. One possible solution is to approve for human consumption the StarLink now in the food chain if it falls below a certain level. Because an application for human consumption was being reviewed by regulators when the problems began, officials said any new scientific data presented to support claims that the corn is safe for people might be reviewed now.