Umweltverbrechen multinationaler Konzerne - Greenpeace

industry. In December 2000, unimpressed with Aventis’ ‘new data’,
the EPA Scientific Advisory Panel refused to recommend that EPA
grant the company’s request. The scientists found that the Cry9C
protein in StarLink poses a “medium likelihood” of being an allergen.
Food producers also unsuccessfully lobbied the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), which shares responsibility for gene-spliced
foods, to declare StarLink an "unavoidable contaminant" in the
human food supply because it has apparently been mixed with so
much other maize. 203
Aventis announced that it was halting sales of StarLink maize
hybrids for 2001 204 , but it is unclear how Aventis handled farmers
who had already ordered or had 2001 contracts that involved
StarLink seed. In March 2001, the USDA said that StarLink
contamination had been detected in non-StarLink seed intended for
sale in 2001.
US maize and maize products are traded globally and shipped to
countries in Asia, Latin America, Africa and Europe. The majority of
countries receiving or importing US maize had – and still have – no
means or capacity to test for the presence of StarLink contamination
in US shipments. The US did not take any measures to ensure its
maize exports were free of StarLink contamination. Such a system
was only set up for very few countries, such as Japan. On 27
October, 2000, the US government lifted restrictions on the export of
StarLink maize. In a notice to US exporters, the USDA, the FDA and
the EPA said StarLink could be exported as long as it was specified
to be used for feed and industrial uses only.
Aventis agreed to stop growing StarLink maize in the US in the future
by cancelling its EPA registration for the maize. Despite the buyback
and the recall of food products in the United States, Aventis
said it still had big plans to develop StarLink in other maize-growing
countries 205 .
Legal outcome In March 2002, a federal judge said he would approve a USD 9
million settlement of a class- action lawsuit filed by consumers
against several major food companies that sold products containing
StarLink maize. The lawsuit also includes Aventis and Garst Seed,
which sold seed contaminated with StarLink maize. A settlement in
this class-action lawsuit has Aventis apparently paying the full
amount of USD 9 million. Aventis said that while it denies any
liability for the claims made in the suit, it believes the settlement is
the best possible way to move forward 206 .
Further legal wrangling is expected over responsibility for
unauthorised uses of StarLink maize. Government officials said
Aventis failed to make sure that the maize was grown with buffers
that would prevent cross-pollination and other restrictions that were
203 Biotech maize found in another brand of taco shells-groups, Reuters, 25 October 2000.
204 Aventis statement, 26 September 2000.
205 StarLink maize was grown in other countries, Reuters, 31 October 2000.
206 Supermarket News, 18 March 2002.
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