By Marc Kaufman, Washington Post Staff Writer / Saturday, October 21, 2000
The Kellogg Co. has been forced to shut down production at one plant because the company could not find corn guaranteed to be free of a genetically modified grain approved only for animal consumption, food industry sources said yesterday.
The shutdown was the most visible evidence of the problems that have been confronting the U.S. food industry since officials discovered that the genetically engineered corn had been widely distributed throughout the country, industry officials said.
Kellogg officials would not confirm the shutdown. Spokeswoman Chris Ervin said the company--which produces Frosted Flakes and Special K cereals along with other products--"doesn't discuss production schedules for competitive reasons."
But two sources familiar with the situation, who asked not to be named, said the food giant, based in Battle Creek, Mich., had stopped production at the plant in midweek, and one said it remains closed.
A major cause of the disruption is that big grain suppliers are unable to certify that their corn is not "adulterated" with the genetically modified corn, known as StarLink, which was apparently mixed with non-engineered corn in multiple sites around the country in violation of federal regulations.
"What we are hearing is a significant degree of concern about whether mills or food processors are able to provide a guarantee of noncontamination, or noncomingling with StarLink," a senior official with the Environmental Protection Agency, who asked not to be named, said yesterday. "Because those guarantees are not being given, some corn is not being sold."
The engineered corn was not approved for human consumption because of concerns that it could trigger dangerous allergic reactions. Federal officials stressed that the corn does not pose an immediate health hazard. But officials are nonetheless trying to locate and withdraw the corn supplies.
Aventis CropScience, which makes the corn, has agreed to buy back at a premium as much of this year's crop as possible. Last week, company officials reported that 9 million bushels of the corn--about 12 percent of the crop--had already left farms after being harvested in recent weeks, and that some had gotten into the human food supply. Aventis is trying to identify the grain elevators and mills that may have received the corn.
Concern that StarLink had made it into the food supply began with a report from a consortium of opponents of engineered food, known as Genetically Engineered Food Alert, that it had found the corn in Taco Bell taco shells. That finding was confirmed by the Food and Drug Administration, and several brands of taco shells were recalled as a result.
The FDA is testing a variety of other corn products. Officials said yesterday that StarLink has been found only in taco shells so far.
"To the extent there have been supply slowdowns, we think that reflects the industry being responsible, and taking the situation very seriously," said Agriculture Department spokesman Andy Solomon.
Government officials said the StarLink problem has begun to prevent exporters from fulfilling contracts with companies overseas, which often demand that products be guaranteed to be free of engineered foods.
The White House has been in regular contact with officials from the four federal agencies involved in overseeing genetically engineered food. Their latest conference call took place yesterday, a spokesman said, and they addressed an array of issues, from the extent to which the substance is traceable and how far it has infiltrated the food supply to the potential impact on exports. The administration is hoping to hold a meeting on Monday so agency officials can brief representatives from the European Union on the steps being taken to address the problem, officials said.
One possible solution to the StarLink problem is to, in effect, approve for human consumption the StarLink now in the food chain if it falls below a certain level. Because an application for human consumption was before regulators when the problem emerged, officials said any new scientific data presented to support claims that the corn is safe for people might be reviewed now.
Some believe the food industry is being overly cautious about StarLink. But Gene Grabowski, spokesman for the Grocery Manufacturers of America, said the industry has to take consumer sensitivities into account.
"We believe food companies are taking responsible steps, but they should not be interpreted as meaning the food industry believes there is harm to public safety being done, because there is not," he said. "Still, it's important that we slow down here a bit and not rush to conclusions that aren't based on facts."
Staff writer Ellen Nakashima contributed to this report.:
