I just watch a video on TED.com (which is a really great site, check it out) and one of the presenters mentioned the Starlink Disaster. I was at a total loss . . . the WHAT?? A quick search turned up a couple of very old news articles - one from Cutie Couric in 2001. I also found a more recent article which is scary!
So my memory was jogged a bit after I read the article and I remembered hearing something about Genetically Modified (GM) foods getting into the US Food Supply and I was curious why isn't there a more current article regarding this story?
I would think having GM food in the US Supply would be something all over the news, or blogs or somewhere. After about 5 more seconds of searching I found a website - starlinkcorn.com and it scares the shi* out of me for a whole bunch of reasons.
First, the website is being shut down, so the above link is only going to work for about 5 minutes after I post this.
In case that happens, here's a quote which will give you the gyst:
On April 25, 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it is withdrawing a guidance document titled “FDA Recommendations for Sampling and Testing Yellow Corn and Dry-Milled Yellow Corn Shipments Intended for Human Food Use for Cry9C Protein Residues.
The FDA guidance document recommended a testing/screening regime intended to minimize the production of human food products with corn containing the Cry9c protein.
The FDA is withdrawing its STARLINK guidance document in response to an EPA document entitled "White Paper Concerning Dietary Exposure to Cry9C Protein Produced by Starlink Corn and the Potential Risks Associated with Such Exposure." This EPA White Paper is available in the same Federal Register as the FDA announcement.
The EPA White Paper "concludes that the protein has been sufficiently removed from the human food supply to render the level of risk low enough that continued testing for the protein in yellow corn at dry mills and mass production facilities provides no added public health protection."
And Third, did we all miss this?? I am usually kind of on top of things and this is the first I've heard of it - am I alone here?
And Lastly - WHAT THE HELL DO WE DO NOW?? I think at least this needs to be a serious topic of discussion with the new administration as a National Security Issue. HELP - all suggestions welcome . . .