October 19, 2000
		Illegal Biotech Corn Found in More Products A variety of genetically engineered corn that has not been approved for human consumption has again been discovered on North American grocery stores. According to the environmental group Friends of the Earth, Safeway's store brand taco shells tested positive for StarLink, a biotech corn developed by Aventis Crop-Science. Safeway issued a recall at its 1,680 locations in the U.S. and Canada on October 11. Safeway Inc. spokesperson Debra Lambert said that the shells were produced by Mission Foods Corp. of Irving, Texas, a major supplier of taco and tortilla products. "This is the second contamination in the past couple of weeks. It seems pretty clear that the (Food and Drug Administration) is doing a miserable job of ensuring the safety of the American food supply," said Mark Helm, spokesperson for Friends of the Earth. Kraft Foods issued a nationwide recall on September 22 for Taco Bell brand taco shells after tests revealed the presence of StarLink genetic material. StarLink corn has not been approved for human consumption because of concerns that it could cause allergic reactions in consumers. Aventis has suspended the sale of the corn and has agreed to reimburse the government for purchasing and handling all of this year's crop. The Safeway taco shells were purchased on September 28 and tested by Genetic ID of Fairfield, Iowa, at the request of the Genetically Engineered Food Alert, a coalition of environmental and consumer organizations. The coalition has called on the FDA to "conduct a thorough investigation into numerous reports of illness made to FDA and alleged to be caused by consumption of contaminated taco shells."