EU demands Monsanto''s test results on controversial corn

23 May 2005

Agence France Presse English 
   
ROME -- Italy''s professor Giorgio Calabrese, a member of the European 
Union''s food safety authority (EFSA), was cited as saying Monday in an
interview with the Italian daily La Stampa that Monsanto has been asked 
to provide all its research results into a genetically modified corn that 
may be a health risk, adding, "Monsanto must immediately transmit to EFSA 
its entire research into (the corn strain) MON 863."
   
The story notes that Sunday''s edition of English newspaper The Independent 
said that guinea pigs fed on the corn developed serious abnormalities, an
internal scientific report at the US-based company found.

Kidney malformations and changes to blood indicating damage to the immune 
system were the most worrying aspects of the report.

The company is said to have given only partial results of its tests on 
MON 863 when first seeking backing for the strain from the EU.