Japan hopes to approve StarLink protocol soon
December 6, 2000 12:05pm
Source: Reuters
By Randy Fabi
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Japan hopes to approve next week a U.S.
protocol for testing American corn shipments destined for Japanese
animal feed, addressing concerns that exports might be contaminated
with bioengineered StarLink corn, a Japanese diplomat said Wednesday.
Masaki Sakai, the Japanese counselor for agriculture to the United
States, told Reuters Japanese and U.S. negotiators were ''very
close'' to an agreement on expanding the protocol on testing U.S.
corn exports. ``We hope an agreement can be reached by next week,''
Sakai said. ``We don't have much difficulty with the protocol, but we
are taking a look at practical aspects on whether this is feasible.''
The original U.S. protocol, agreed to in November, only applies to
U.S. corn exports bound for Japan for human consumption. Japan, the
single biggest buyer of American corn, has sharply cut back purchases
in recent weeks due to concerns that shipments might be contaminated
with StarLink, a corn variety genetically engineered to repel pests.
Though StarLink has not been approved for human food, it has turned
up in a variety of products such as taco shells and chips. More than
300 kinds of U.S. foods have been recalled because of the
contamination. Sakai said Japan was looking at the agreement ``very
carefully'' because the country imports much more U.S. corn for
animal feed than for food.
Japan imports about four million tonnes of corn a year for food and
industrial use and another 11 million to 12 million tonnes for feed
production. After private meetings with officials from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency
and the Food and Drug Administration, Japanese officials left
Washington on Wednesday to brief their government and finalize the
agreement. Sakai said because of the time it will take for the
Japanese officials to reach Tokyo, the agreement would probably not
be completed until next week. Sakai would not comment on whether --
and when -- U.S. corn exports to Japan would return to levels reached
before the StarLink controversy.
The United States is anxious to maintain the Japanese market for U.S.
corn farmers, who are facing stiff competition and low prices for
their exports. On Tuesday, the USDA said it was optimistic an
agreement would soon be reached with Japan. StarLink, made by Aventis
SA , was approved by U.S. regulators for livestock feed but barred
from human food because of unanswered questions about possible
allergic reactions. In Japan, the variety is not approved even for
animal feed. ^
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