Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
flour. USDA eventually detected Cry9C in 9 to 22 percent of all maize
samples. Given the huge variety of processed maize products, millions
of people are assumed to have consumed contaminated maize prod-
ucts before those products were recalled and removed from supermar-
ket shelves. Despite a considerable number of consumer reports about
allegedly allergic symptoms, in no case were actual allergic symptoms
proven to be caused by the GM maize. Nevertheless, recalls and com-
pensations were reported to amount to US$1 billion.
It was later revealed that the contaminations occurred from commin-
gling after harvest. Commingling might happen for instance, if storage
facilities, equipment, and machinery are used for both GM and con-
ventional maize varieties without properly cleaning them between these
uses. Moreover, farmers or wholesalers handling such material might not
have been aware of the need to keep these types of maize separate. In
fact, it was determined that some of the farmers and farm workers had
not received appropriate information and training on both sowing and
trading restrictions. In addition, there were indications of pollen flow to
conventional maize varieties.
Although the StarLink case was about a GM feed maize grown on
large acreages, the ProdiGene incident was about a GM pharm maize
grown in small areas. In 2002, USDA's Animal and Plant Inspection
Service (APHIS) staff recorded two cases of violations of conditions for
deliberate release of GM pharm crops. In both cases, GM maize result-
ing from field trials of the U.S. molecular farming company ProdiGene
were detected in conventional soybean fields.
In the Iowa case, GM maize “volunteers”
27
were detected in a late
stage of development. Given the possibility of pollen flow to surrounding
maize fields, more than 60 hectares of maize had to be incinerated.
27
A crop that sprouts unexpectedly in a surprise location. Birds and animals often plant
them in their droppings, or the seeds are carried by wind or humans to new locations.
In the case of maize, kernel might remain in the soil, survive the winter, and sprout in
the next growing season. If the field is being used for some other cultivars, the maize
might be a weed.
