|
From Bio Journal - Oct. 2001
Towards approval of GM corn StarLink in Japan
On August 20, the Safety Assessment Subcommittee
of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry
and Fisheries' Feed Committee has approved
a draft proposal which will allow import
of unapproved GMO crops that include the
controversial StarLink corn into the Japanese
market. This decision was made based on a
StarLink test conducted by the Feed Division,
Livestock Industry Department, Agricultural
Production Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries. The study concluded
that its safety tests of genetically modified
StarLink corn on broiler chickens, pigs and
cows did not give rise to any harmful health
effects.
Moreover, eggs and milk from the StarLink-fed
group exhibited no trace of the unique protein
Cry9C found only in the GM corn, which is
suspected of being an allergen for humans.
However, this test result is not at all enough
to evaluate generally the effect on animals.
Rush for approval of NewLeaf Plus Potato and RoundUp Ready Canola
"RT200"
On August 8, the Pharmaceutical Affairs and
Food Sanitation Council at the Department
of Food Sanitation, Pharmaceutical and Food
Safety Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour
and Welfare (MHLW) decided to allow two unapproved
GMOs, NewLeaf Plus Potato and RoundUp Ready
Canola "RT200", for marketing in
Japan.
Both of these GMOs had been involved in a
food recall scare. On May 24, 2001, traces
of unapproved GM potato, NewLeaf Plus, was
found in House Foods Corp's snack products
called O'ZACK. House Foods recalled its products
and then there were recalls of Calbee Foods
Co Ltd's JAGARIKO, Bourbon Corp's POTELKA,
Morinaga and Co's Morinaga POTELONG and POTELONG
smoked cheese flavour, and also PRINGLES
by Procter and Gamble Far East Inc., the
Japan unit of Procter & Gamble Co. of
the United States.
Also, on April 25, 2001, two of Canada's
major grain companies and Monsanto Co. voluntarily
recalled thousands of bags of the GM canola
seed, RoundUp Ready Canola "RT200".
The reason why the government of Japan seems
to be in a rush to give approval to such
GMOs is to economize the cost of checking
imported products at Japanese ports. There
is an intention to decrease the amount of
unapproved GMOs, since this will make the
import process smoother. It is obvious that
the government gives priority to the political
intention.
 (English Index)
|
|
