By Catherine Clifford
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has, for the first time,
amended its food safety code to approve for human consumption a
geneticially-modified corn designed for animal feed.
Biotech giant Monsanto applied to have the Code amended so it could
sell its GM high-lycine corn, called LY038, in Australia and New Zealand.

LY038 has been engineered to have high levels of the amino acid,
lysine, in combination with high levels of sugar up to four times the amount
found in conventional sweetcorn. When fed to livestock the high-energy food
speeds growth and muscle development, especially in poultry and pigs.

But a storm is brewing on both sides of the Tasman over the GM corn's
approval for human consumption.

Greenpeace alleges Monsanto applied to have the food standard changed
because the company anticipates there could be accidental contamination of
the human food chain even though LY038 is specifically designed for animals.

Genetic-engineering spokeswoman, Louise Sales, alleges the decision by
FSANZ sets a worrying precedent partly because this is the first time the
Code has been amended in this way and partly because the testing procedure
conducted by Monsanto was wanting.

"They relied on feeding studies on chickens and rats on uncooked corn
and obviously humans don't eat uncooked corn," she says.

But Food Standards Australia New Zealand spokeswoman, Lydia Buchtmann,
says Monsanto's application met all necessary safety requirements.

Ms Buchtmann adds FSANZ's risk analysis of LY038 was extensive,
thorough and detailed.

"We're very rigorous in our safety assessments and, in fact, we're
renowned around the world for how well we do them," she says.

Dr Jack Heinemann is the Associate Professor of Microbiology at the
University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Dr Heinemann says he is disappointed with the FSANZ decision because
he believes the high-lycine feedstock has been approved without the full
range of safety testing necessary should the product enter the human food
supply system.

"No safety studies have been conducted on this corn using cooked and
processed material," he says.

"It is conceivably possible this corn will be of economic benefit to
farmers," he says, "but the question facing our food regulator is not
whether it makes chickens grow faster but whether this corn is safe and
appropriate for human food," says Dr Heinemann.

Meanwhile, New Zealand has just announced it will not immediately
follow Australia's lead in gazetting the amendment.

Instead, Food Safety Minister, Annette King, has asked her own Food
Safety Authority to provide her with more advice on whether it is
appropriate to accept within Australia and New Zealand's joint food standard
a genetically-modified product that is intended for use as stockfeed.

We sought comment from Monsanto Australia. The company says it is
happy for us to speak to its US-based experts on high-lycine GM corn, but
will not be in a position to arrange interviews until next week.


[www.abc.net.au]