Critics charge that the transgenic corn poses potential risks to the environment and public health.
Ciba-Geigy has produced a strain of corn that is resistant to the European corn borer. European wholesalers and retailers will refuse to accept the U.S. products which contain the modified crops, according to H. H. Kroner, secretary-general of EuroCommerce, a trade organization representing European wholesalers. Protesters also plan to dump corn and soybeans in front of the Chicago Board of Trade as part of the boycott announced here. The FDA teams included experts in chemistry, molecular biology, toxicology, environmental science and the regulation of food ingredients. The two firms presented information and data to FDA on intended use, mechanisms of intended effect, molecular alterations, safety, composition and wholesomeness, the spokesman said.