Kraft recalls genetically modified Taco shells - made from genetically altered corn - Brief Article

Nutrition Health Review, Winter, 2002

In September 2000, all taco shells sold under the Taco Bell brand were pulled from supermarket shelves after it was discovered that they were made with genetically engineered corn that had not been approved for human consumption. The altered corn, manufactured by Kraft Foods, Inc., was intended for animal feed because of fears of allergic reactions in humans.

An anti-biotech environmental group, Friends of the Earth, commissioned tests on the shells and found traces of genetically altered corn sold in a Washington, D.C., suburb. An independent test by Kraft Foods revealed similar results. The taco shells were removed from the market until it could be confirmed that no more modified corn was present. No threat to human health was apparent from the shells that had already been sold.

The particular variety of corn, produced by Aventis Corporation, is sold under the name Starlink. It contains a gene from a bacterium that makes it toxic to insects. Kraft Foods stated that the government should not have allowed farmers to grow a crop that cannot be consumed by humans.

Betsy Holden, Kraft's chief executive officer, said, "All of us--government, industry, and the scientific community--need to work on ways to prevent this kind of situation from ever happening again."