03-08-01: EPA releases draft report on StarLink corn

Dave Deegan 202-564-7839
Martha Casey 202-564-7842
Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing two actions related to StarLink corn. First, EPA is assuring the public that the type of split pesticide registration, which approved StarLink to be used solely for animal feed, will no longer be considered a regulatory option for products of biotechnology. Secondly, EPA is releasing for public and scientific peer review a draft paper examining how food processing affects levels of the StarLink protein in finished food.

Release of this paper follows up on last fall's meeting of EPA's Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) to evaluate the available scientific information on how the wet-milling process affects levels of the StarLink (known also as Cry9C) protein in food products. The draft document, which is undergoing scientific and public review before being finalized, explains that StarLink corn which undergoes the wet-milling process contains essentially no residues of StarLink protein in finished human food. In contrast, food products from the dry milling process do contain protein.

After public and scientific review, EPA will evaluate the impact that this new information has on assessing potential exposure to StarLink corn from eating food manufactured through the wet milling process. The common food products from wet milling include: corn oil, corn syrup, alcohol, and corn starch, which account for approximately 80 percent of the food products manufactured from corn.

Copies of the draft paper and the Federal Register notice announcing availability of the paper are available at: www.epa.gov/biopesticides . The comment period will be open for 30 days.

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