STARLINK  SHORTS

Lots of shortened Starlink updates:

USDA  Says U.S. Corn Exports Hurt  by StarLink Chaos - Reuters - 26 November 2000

WASHINGTON  (Reuters) - American corn exports are being hurt by concerns overseas that shipments may be contaminated with an unapproved variety of biotech corn, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said on Thursday.
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EPA says unconvinced on StarLink bio-corn  safety - Reuters USA - 15 November 2000 WASHINGTON - New scientific data submitted by the maker of StarLink corn does not dispel government scientists’ concerns that the gene-altered crop may cause allergic reactions in humans, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Monday.
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US to check for genetically-modified corn in exports to Japan - Agence France Presse
16 November 2000

15 November - The US Department of Agriculture will inspect  consignments of corn destined for human consumption in Japan to ensure they do not contain a genetically-engineered variety linked to allergies, a US Embassy spokesman said. “Yes, the US does intend to start inspection for (the genetically-engineered variety) StarLink” before the shipments leave US ports next week, he said. Japan has not banned StarLink outright, but it has not been approved as an animal feed. “Until now, it was up to individual exporters to make sure the variety was not included in their shipments,” said a Health and Welfare Ministry official, who declined to be named. However, random checks in Japan have revealed inspections by exporters have been inadequate. Ten out of 15 samples taken from corn exports to Japan between April and June contained the StarLink variety, said Minoru Yoshida of the commercial feed division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan. Ninety five percent of all corn imports to Japan come from the United States, he said.

“When you look at the details of the inspection procedures, it is full of loopholes, it makes it almost meaningless,” Makiko Irisawa, spokeswoman for the No GMO Campaign which organised the protest, told AFP Thursday. “We are questioning why we cannot continue to farm just as we have until now - without genetic engineering, “ she said.
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Attorneys general press Aventis to compensate farmers  - by Ken Thomas, Associated Press  16 November 2000

DES MOINES, Iowa  Sixteen state attorneys general are pressing the company that makes StarLink corn to do more to compensate farmers and grain elevators hurt when the genetically modified strain showed up in the food supply.  Meanwhile, the company, Aventis SA, announced plans to sell or spin off its agrochemicals business, which developed StarLink
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Physicians, biologists on EPA panel analyzing  bio-corn  - Reuters USA, 17 November 2000

WASHINGTON - The  Environmental Protection Agency has said that Stephen Roberts, a University of Florida toxicologist, would head a 15-member science advisory panel that will analyze whether StarLink bio-corn can cause allergic reactions in people. The panel will give its recommendation to the EPA by Dec.1 to help the agency determine whether Aventis SA will be granted a four-year approval for the gene-spliced corn to be used in human food.