S.Korean companies imported banned corn

According to the Korean Food & Drug Administration (KFDA), five South Korean companies used banned Starlink corn to make edible corn starch and they should be punished for the violations. In a statement, it added that the starch was sold to local makers of products such as biscuits, noodles and alcohol. Starlink, a processed, genetically modified (GM) corn that has raised health concerns, is allowed only in animal feed and industrial products. The KFDA​ said the companies sold 34.4 tonnes of Starlink-sourced corn starch as well as 4,061 tonnes of corn embryo bud, an extract, sold to cooking oil makers. According to the KFDA, Starlink active ingredient Cry9C is melted or removed during the processing of foods made of the starch and is not a threat to human health. Cry9C is a protein that protects young plants from destructive pests. The KFDA reported its findings to regional health authorities and asked them to punish the companies for violating food and hygiene regulations. StarLink, made by the Franco-German pharmaceutical group Aventis, was barred by US regulators for human use because of concerns it might trigger allergic reactions such as rashes, diarrhoea or breathing problems. However, earlier this month, a report from the US Center of Disease Control and Prevention found no link between the corn and allergic reactions reported after countries announced bans on human consumption of Starlink. The KFDA has banned imports of Starlink corn for human consumption since last October after it found traces of StarLink in corn imported from the United States. Further concern was sparked after StarLink traces were detected in corn imports that carried U.S. official non-StarLink certificates early this year. Source: Reuters​