But removing it from the food supply has proven to be a far greater challenge for regulators, farmers, food companies and the Aventis unit responsible for the seed, Aventis CropScience. This is really something new, something new to the market, trying to segregate out after the fact. StarLink was planted on just 0.4 percent of US corn acres. Even then, company officials say they won't completely remove it from the corn supply any time soon. Now Aventis has asked the EPA to tolerate StarLink at 20 parts per billion, the equivalent of about one kernel in every 800.
Critics call the request a ploy to shield the company from liability.
StarLink's threat remains under dispute. The company's new research filed with the EPA shows that the corn poses no health concern. In December, a panel of independent scientists told the EPA that StarLink shows a ''medium likelihood'' of causing an allergic reaction in some humans. But, it said, given the low levels likely present in US food, StarLink probably would not cause allergic reactions. That strikes me as high,'' said James Bair, vice president of the North American Millers Association, which represents companies in 37 states.