NEW YORK TIMES / October 25, 2000 / By STEPHANIE STROM
TOKYO, Wednesday, Oct. 25 -- The Consumers Union of Japan said today that it
has
found traces of a controversial genetically modified corn from the
United States
in snack foods and animal feed sold here.
The results of the union's tests are likely to kick off a firestorm of protest
here, where opposition to genetically modified foods is especially strong.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and two groups representing
American grain producers are expected in Tokyo tomorrow to try to explain how
the genetically modified corn, called StarLink, surfaced in Japan,
according to
one grain importer.
The Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare called an urgent meeting this
morning to determine how it should respond to the consumer group's
revelations.
StarLink is not approved for import into Japan, although other genetically
modified foods are allowed.
StarLink, which is manufactured by Aventis, touched off widespread protests
and
product recalls in the United States after it was found in taco shells, but
now
the controversy is going global.
Two days ago, John Richardson, the deputy chief of mission at the European
Union's mission in Washington, said after discussions with American officials
that some of the gene-spliced corn may find its way to grocery shelves in
Europe, where opposition to genetically altered foods is also very high.
The Environmental Protection Agency has refused to grant even
temporary approval
for StarLink corn, which the Food and Drug Administration fears may produce
allergic reactions in some people. Representatives from the food and
biotechnology industries are expected to present new data to American
regulators
today in an effort to win approval for StarLink, but it will take several
weeks
for the agency to issue a ruling.
The controversy pits the agency against the Agriculture Department, which has
argued that there is no evidence that StarLink causes allergic reactions.
"Though StarLink corn was only approved for use as animal feed or for
industrial
processes, some Starlink corn appears to have entered the food supply and
might
find its way into products oversea," a U.S. government spokesman said today in
Tokyo. "I want to emphasize that even though the E.P.A. did not
approve StarLink
for use in food, the E.P.A. has no evidence that food containing this
corn poses
any threat to public health. Our scientists believe the risks, if any, are
extremely low."
The spread of the genetically altered corn is difficult to contain because
seed
corn is cross-pollinated and it is extremely difficult to isolate modified
corn
from unmodified corn. Sifting through millions of tons of corn to separate
natural kernels from those that have been genetically modified is an
even bigger
challenge.
"The type of handling in which we would separate the corn at every stage of
transportation, shipment and import into Japan is very expensive," said Hyodo
Makoto, who is in charge of grain and oil imports at the Tomen Corporation,
which imports about two million tons of corn a year into Japan.
Japan grows almost no corn of its own, although corn soup is a staple of menus
in many Japanese restaurants. The country imports about 12 million tons of
corn
for animal feed and 4 million tons for human consumption.
