Note the article is referring to the Thai FDA - not the US agency who not so long ago were said to be searching for some testing equipment!
---
Allergy fears trigger action on GM maize
FDA targets Starlink transgenic corn
Anchalee Kongrut
http://www.bangkokpost.net/today/191200_News03.html
BangKok Post
Dec 19 2000
Importers of food products made from corn will be required to declare their products free of Cry9C, a protein in a brand of transgenic maize, which could trigger allergy in humans.
The Food and Drug Administration is drafting a regulation targetting StarLink transgenic corn, which was found to have been used to make certain types of food products in the United States.
Corn-based food imports available in local markets which will be affected by the regulation include: popcorn, frozen baby corn, taco shells, corn chips, cornflakes, corn meal and frozen corn.
The draft will be sent to the FDA board on food safety and standards next Monday, before being presented for the health minister's signature.
StarLink transgenic corn engineered by Aventis SA caused a panic among US consumers in September, after it was found to have been used as an ingredient for taco shells. The corn had been approved only for animal feed and industrial use. The findings prompted food makers such as Kraft to recall almost 300 food items and disrupted shipments, according to news reports.
FDA secretary-general Dr Vichai Chokevivat urged the public to remain calm. "The StarLink case was an accident resulting from the use of animal feed in human food. There is no evidence of human allergy resulting from intake of StarLink corn here," he said.
He said 88% of products suspected of being made from StarLink corn had already been recalled. "Chances are slim that we will find the remaining 12% on local grocery shelves."
Dr Vichai said StarLink corn was safe for feedstock and the Cry9C protein could not be passed along the food chain to humans.
US health officials are examining 44 Americans who claimed to have developed intense itching, nausea and allergic symptoms after eating food contaminated with StarLink corn.