Genetic Contaminant Found in Taco Bell Shells Highlights Concerns Expressed
at Farm Aid 2000's Farmer Summit
Winona County Residents Play a Part in D.C. Farmers Summit
Contacts: Jim Riddle 507-454-8310
Bobby King 507 523-3366
LEWISTON, Minn- The recent discovery of taco shells contaminated with
biotech corn not approved for human consumption highlights concerns of
family farmers nationwide, according to members of Minnesota's Land
Stewardship Project who attended Farm Aid 2000's Farmer Summit. The summit,
which was part of this year's Farm Aid concert, focused on genetic
engineering and its impact on farmers. Participating in the summit were Jim
Riddle and Bobby King. Riddle is a Winona County farmer and organic
inspector who is a member of the Land Stewardship Project (LSP). King is a
policy organizer in LSP's Lewiston office.
Biotech corn not approved for human consumption has been detected in grocery
store Taco Bell taco shells according to the non-profit group Genetically
Engineered Food Alert. Independent laboratory tests indicated the presence
of StarLink corn in Taco Bell taco shells sold at grocery stores. StarLink
corn is produced by Aventis Corporation and is a variety of genetically
engineered corn not approved for human consumption because it contains the
protein Cry9C. The Environmental Protection Agency is concerned that the
Cry9C protein may be a food allergen.
"These results are not surprising," Riddle said. According to the
American Corn Growers Association, over 91 percent of the US corn crop is a
mixture of genetically engineered corn and non-GMO corn. They are not
segregated. GMOs are not labeled in the foods we eat. These novel foods are
virtually unregulated, and there have been no human health studies to show
if they are safe or not. We are the guinea pigs. It's no wonder that the
Europeans and Japanese don't want to buy our farm products."
Participants at the Farm Aid summit reaffirmed support for the "Farmer's
Declaration on Genetic Engineering in Agriculture", passed during last year'
s summit. The Declaration calls for a moratorium on Genetically Modified
Organisms (GMO's) until there have been extensive, independent studies
proving that they are safe for humans and the environment. It demands that
genetically engineered crops and foods be segregated and labeled.
Stephen Johnson, an assistant administrator for pesticides at the EPA, told
the Washington Post that, "If there has been a violation of our licensing
process, then we would have a very great concern. Likewise, we would want to
make sure we are completely protecting the public health."
King said that Johnson's promise to protect the public health is ironic
considering that it wasn't the EPA that tested the taco shells. Instead, a
nonprofit group had the shells tested.
"If the EPA is concerned about public health, then why aren't they doing
their own testing? Instead they have relied on industry to self police," he
said. "It shouldn't be up to a nonprofit group to be the watchdog on this."
