Kraft Recalls Biotech Taco Shells
Friday, September 22nd, 2000, Kraft Foods recalled
all taco shells sold in supermarkets nationwide
under the Taco Bell brand name. Tests showed that
the shells were made with bio-engineered corn that
is not approved for human consumption. It contains
a bacterium gene which makes it toxic to an insect pest.
Taco Bell Corporation stated that even though the recall
does not apply to taco shells in their restaurants, they
are nevertheless replacing those shells as well. Tests
on those shells have been "inconclusive."
Kraft said it would discontinue production of the shells
until it could be sure the meal it buys has no more
genetically engineered corn. The corporation also said
it does not know how many packages of those shells are
in homes, stores or warehouses, but that it was safe to
say the number is in the millions.
The corn in question is grown by Aventis Corporation,
under the trade name StarLink. This is acquired by
Dallas-based Azteca Milling in Plainview, Texas, where
it is processed into corn meal. It then goes to Mexico,
where it is made into taco shells for Kraft by Sabritas
Mexicali, a unit of Pepsico.
Carl Feldbaum, president of the Biotechnology Industry
Organization, said, "It is unclear how this occurred,
but we must find out."
Kraft chief executive Betsy Holden said, "All of us
-- government, industry and the scientific community --
need to work on ways to prevent this kind of situation
from ever happening again."
The Food and Drug Administration stated there is no
known threat to human health from the corn, but
officials there called the recall a "prudent step."
Government regulators insist that the corn is safe.
The Environmental Protection Agency, responsible
for regulating pest-resistant crops, states that none
of those crops so far developed pose any "significant
risks." But scientists advising EPA have been unable
to agree whether Starlink is allergenic.
Rebecca Goldblum, senior scientist at Environmental
Defense, said the recall "demonstrates that consumers
are not being protected by the federal agencies assigned
this critical responsibility."
To this writer's knowledge, nothing has been said
about corporate or individual responsibility.
