Friday May 4 1:01 PM ET
 Food Makers Want Biotech Food Tests

 WASHINGTON (AP) - Food makers stung by recalls involving biotech corn
products say the government shouldn't approve any other genetically engineered crops
unless there is a way to test for them.

 Last fall, the industry was thrown into disarray when a variety of
biotech corn that wasn't approved for human consumption was found in taco shells.

 ``We've learned a lot of lessons, that's the bottom line,'' said Lisa
Katic, director of scientific and nutrition policy for the Grocery Manufacturers 
of America. ``We need to know what's in our products.''

 Biotech soy and corn are found in foods throughout U.S. supermarkets
because biotech and conventional crops are routinely mixed together.

 Testing methods are needed regardless of whether a new genetically
engineered crop is essentially the same as a conventionally bred variety, the 
grocery manufacturers said in a letter filed Thursday with the Food and Drug 
Administration (news - web sites).

 Many overseas buyers don't want foods made from biotech crops, and some
countries require such foods to be labeled, making it imperative for
manufacturers to be able to tell whether ingredients include gene-altered 
crops, Katic said.

 The FDA is considering tightening up its approval process for biotech
crops in response to consumer and food industry concerns.

 The agency has proposed a mandatory review process for new biotech
products that will include posting scientific data on the Internet.

 Monsanto Co. has created a herbicide-resistant wheat that may be ready
as early as 2003. Biotech varieties of fruit, vegetables, fish
and livestock are in various stages of development.