IN YET another blunder by the biotech industry, it has emerged that a non-approved variety of genetically modified maize was sold in the US for four years. The corn poses no health risk, but the incident is sparking renewed accusations that the regulations and methods for controlling GM crops are faulty.
鈥淭his really makes us wonder what else is in corn that has not been approved,鈥� says Jane Rissler of the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington DC. 鈥淚t seems that companies either won鈥檛 or can鈥檛 control it.鈥�
The non-approved GM variety, Bt 10, produces exactly the same bacterial toxin as Bt 11, which has been approved. The only difference is the location of the inserted gene, its creator Syngenta says. The biotech company says it discovered it had inadvertently been selling Bt 10 instead of Bt 11 when it switched to a new quality-control system that relies on DNA tests. Previously the company had tested only for proteins, which meant the two varieties appeared identical. The US Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Agriculture are investigating the case, the journal Nature reported last week.
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鈥淭his really makes us wonder what else is in corn that has not been approved鈥�
There have been many similar mix-ups and mistakes during the short history of GM crops. In 2000, for instance, a GM corn variety called Starlink was discovered in food destined for human consumption, even though it was approved only for use in animal feed.
