Farmers, elevators, and other grain handlers need to keep in mind that corn from genetically engineered StarLink hybrids has not been approved for human consumption and must not be mixed with corn that might end up in the human food supply. There were 29 StarLink hybrids available in 2000; they contain a gene from the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacteria and produce Cry9C protein that is toxic to some species of insects. The corn has been approved for livestock feed and industrial uses, but testing has not been completed to determine whether the Cry9C protein is a potential human allergen.
Farmers who grow StarLink hybrids and sell corn into commercial channels must clean combines, hauling vehicles, and grain conveyors when they switch from StarLink to other hybrids and they must store the StarLink corn in separate bins. When corn is sold, farmers need to tell buyers if the corn they are delivering is a StarLink hybrid and then the buyer must store the corn in separate bins and clean out conveying equipment after the corn has been handled.
Segregation is important, because human food products are being tested for evidence of the genes or Cry9C protein contained in StarLink hybrids and any products testing positive are being routed to other uses or recalled. Food recalls are very expensive for food companies both in terms of actual costs and in terms of negative publicity that is generated. It is likely that companies that need to recall food products will try to find the source of contamination and attempt to recover their costs from firms or individuals that caused the contamination.
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This page is part of the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department web at http://www.bae.umn.edu/