BioCentury
ARTICLE | Politics & Policy

Low probability that StarLink causes allergic reactions

December 5, 2000 8:00 AM UTC

A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency advisory committee has concluded that there is a "low probability" that the quantities of StarLink genetically modified corn present in food will cause allergic reactions. The FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) issued a final report Tuesday based on its Nov. 28 meeting (see BioCentury Extra, Wednesday Nov. 29). The panel said that although there is a moderate probability that the Cry9C protein expressed in StarLink is an allergen, a number of factors reduce the probability that it will pose a significant health threat. These include the low level of expression of the protein in StarLink corn and the low quantities of StarLink to which consumers are likely to be exposed. StarLink was never approved for human consumption and Aventis CropScience, which developed StarLink, and U.S. government agencies are taking aggressive steps to reduce quantities of the variety that enter the food supply. ...