Rogue Oregon Wheat Inflames Foes of Gene-Altered Crops
The discovery in an Oregon field of gene-altered wheat developed by Monsanto Co. (MON) that was not approved for sale shows a failure of oversight that safety advocates say may endanger consumers and U.S. trading relationships.
Scientists said the rogue wheat was a strain tested from 1998 to 2005 by Monsanto, the world’s largest seedmaker, which withdrew its application for approval amid concern buyers would avoid crops from the U.S., the world’s biggest wheat exporter.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said yesterday it is investigating how the unapproved seeds slipped out and were growing nine years after St. Louis-based Monsanto ended its wheat program. The discovery prompted Japan to suspend imports of western-white wheat and feed wheat. Other overseas buyers may follow suit, according to critics including the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Center for Food Safety.
“This will have an impact worldwide, because our trading partners do not want genetically modified wheat,” Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Consumers Union in New York, said in an interview. “This crop may be safe to eat, or it may not be. We don’t know because we haven’t done the proper scrutiny.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-30/rogue-oregon-wheat-inflames-foes-of-gene-altered-crops.html
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