Japan confirms Starlink presence in human food products

The Health and Welfare Ministry in Japan confirmed on Wednesday that U.S.-grown genetically modified corn banned for consumption in Japan has been mixed with corn used for brewing beer and making processed foods, Kyodo News reports. Of a batch of around 38,000 tons of corn imported from the United States, around 28,000 tons might have been blended with the StarLink variety, which has not been received safety clearance from the Japanese government. It has been processed into foods and materials for industrial products and they have been sold by manufacturers to distributors in Japan, the ministry said. Around 17,000 tons of such corn has been used to make beer, starch syrup and other foods, according to the ministry. . The U.S. is the only country to produce StarLink, and the only one to approve it for use in animal feed.