June 18, 2005

Japan may allow corn cargoes with 1 percent Bt10 corn

Japan is currently considering whether to allow imports of feed corn cargoes with up to 1 percent of Bt10 corn contamination. Similarly, Switzerland's Syngenta AG has been seeking approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for approval of the same Bt10 corn seed.

Japan started testing for the genetically modified corn after the March 22 announcement by Syngenta that it accidentally sold Bt10 corn seed to US farmers who planted it on 37,000 acres from 2001 through 2004. Two shipments have since been found with traces of Bt10 corn and were not allowed to enter the country.