Greenpeace still concerned over GM corn in feed

   NETHERLANDS: January 10, 2000

   AMSTERDAM - Environmental group Greenpeace said it is worried that
   corn gluten in feed probably still contains genetically modified (GM)
   material not approved by the European Union, despite assurances from
   U.S. producers.

   There was also unease about approved GM crops as there is increasing
   doubt about data used in the approval process, campaigner Miriam van
   Gool told Reuters. Greenpeace might plan "actions" to highlight its
   concern, she said.

   But the Dutch Dairy Industry Association and Dutch Compound Feed
   Producers Association (FOOM) were confident that U.S. corn gluten, an
   important ingredient in cattle feed, is safe to use.

   The issue of GM material in corn gluten has arisen repeatedly over the
   past few years. Animal feed producers lifted a partial ban on corn
   gluten agreed in December. They agreed not to use material from the
   Flag Diamond vessel last month after Greenpeace took samples from on
   the ship and said tests showed the presence of unapproved GM material.

   Only a handful of GM crops made it through the EU's lengthy approval
   process before the EU froze approval of new GMOs.

   After the December incident, the FOOM received assurances from the
   U.S. Corn Refiners Association that procedures would ensure that only
   EU-approved GM corn would be shipped to Europe, FOOM Secretary General
   Wijnand Wiegeraadt told Reuters.

   "We must still make some more contractual stipulations for the next
   harvest, but we are on a good track," he said.

   Wiegeraadt expressed some doubts about the validity of the Greenpeace
   tests, which were taken during while the Flag Diamond stopped in
   Spain, before its arrival in Amsterdam.

   Additional tests were being conducted by the respected Dutch Rikilt
   Laboratory.

   The Dutch Dairy Industry Association, which forged an agreement in the
   past with FOOM to ensure unapproved GM material was not appearing in
   feed given to dairy cows, was now satisfied the pact would be
   respected, spokesman Tiny Brouwers said.

   "We are satisfied with the guarantees," he said.

   Van Gool said Greenpeace was not convinced the problem has been
   solved.

   "I'm sceptical...I would want to look into how they can guarantee
   this. That is very quick, to establish a segregation system in a
   month," she said.

   But even if it can be proved that only approved GM crops are being
   shipped to Europe, consumers might be unhappy about the presence of
   any GM material at all, Van Gool said.

   Many supermarkets in Britain had taken all products containing any GM
   material off their shelves and market leader Tesco said on Thursday it
   was asking farmers not to supply it with food from land used for GM
   crop testing.

   "We basically oppose the whole genetic engineering as it is at this
   moment. We consider it an experimental technology," Van Gool said.

   Last month a group of U.S. and French farmers sued Monsanto Co for
   allegedly selling genetically altered crops without first ensuring
   they were safe for consumers and the environment.

   REUTERS NEWS SERVICE