September 13, 2001
		EPA Ignored Dangers Reported About StarLink The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the maker of genetically engineered StarLink corn had some indication that the product may be entering the human food supply nine months before it was discovered by an environmental advocacy group in taco shells, according to a government document. StarLink was approved for animal feed, but never for human consumption because of concern that it may cause allergic reactions. Last September, however, a scientist at Friends of the Earth found traces of the corn in Taco Bell brand taco shells. After the initial discovery, StarLink was detected in other varieties of processed food, which set off food recalls and depressed the U.S. corn export market. Nine months before the taco shell discovery, however, a survey sent to farmers who were growing StarLink concluded that 2 of 130 had sold the corn for food use or for export, while another 12.6 percent said that they did not know what happened to the corn after they sold it. It was not approved for exportation to Europe and Japan. The results of this survey were sent from Aventis to the EPA on January 27, 2000. The report from Aventis to the EPA concluded that the program to restrict StarLink to only authorized uses was "highly effective." "It had a red flag that its approval process was not working," said Joseph Mendelson, legal director of the Center for Food Safety. "Clearly they didn't do anything here until they became embarrassed." Margaret Gadsby, a spokeswoman for Aventis said, "We have difficulty imagining how our corn could end up in the human food supply." Although Aventis and the FDA claim that there is no proof that StarLink can cause allergic reactions, Florida optometrist Keith Finger released a letter he received from his allergist saying that he most likely has an allergy to StarLink. Dr. Finger had a reaction to an extract of StarLink corn in a skin prick test, and he is suing Aventis.