Monsanto

Monsanto Calls On Friends Of The Earth To Provide Test Data Results For Public Validation

Contact: Scarlett Lee Foster (314-694-2883)

ST. LOUIS (Nov. 7, 2000) - Monsanto Company today called on Friends of the Earth to make available for validation the data and test methods used by its contract laboratory in alleging unapproved varieties of corn were present in specific food products.

Monsanto's letter to Friends of the Earth in the United Kingdom followed calls by U.K. food companies for independent validation of the data at the heart of Friends of the Earth's allegations and the U.K. Food Standards Agency announcement that it intends to investigate the validity of the claims.

"These products are safe. They've been approved by regulatory agencies around the world. However, we take any allegations about our products seriously, and urge Friends of the Earth to be forthcoming with the basis for their claims," said Hugh Grant, Monsanto's chief operating officer.

"Friends of the Earth has a public obligation to share their data and methodology because they have sought an audience through the media. We believe it is irresponsible to make these serious allegations and then be unwilling to allow independent verification of the results."

Sunday, Nov. 5, Monsanto announced its public commitment to make available any resources at its disposal to assist the food companies and regulatory agencies in investigating the claims made by Friends of the Earth.

All of Monsanto's biotechnology products have complete approval for both human and animal consumption by regulatory agencies in the United States, Canada and Japan, and they have been routinely processed and consumed with other products in those countries.

In its Nov. 5 announcement, Monsanto also committed to withhold commercial launch of biotechnology commodity crops for planting in the United States until they have received full approval for food use and animal feed in the United States and Japan.

The industry has a comprehensive channeling program for products that are still pending European approval, designed to allow U.S. growers to find domestic markets for these products. U.K. food companies have expressed confidence in the integrity of their supplies.

"One critical issue is that any identity-preservation program in a biological system - whether biotechnology-based, organic-based, conventional-based or other - cannot achieve a level of zero tolerance," said Grant.

"It is a well recognized and accepted fact in the seed-production industry that a zero-tolerance is neither realistic nor attainable. The regulatory agencies throughout the world need to eliminate the confusion that arises on these issues by adopting a common-sense standard for harmless adventitious traces in seed and food products."

Read Questions & Answers to the alleged detection of Roundup Ready corn by the FOE.