NCGA Encouraged by Completion of EU Food Approval Process for
Monsanto’s Roundup Ready Corn 2 Technology
(10-26-04)
The European Commission
today approved the use of Monsanto’s
Roundup Ready Corn NK603 and its processed products as food and
food ingredients under the Novel Foods Regulation. The National
Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is encouraged by the decision and
advises growers to check with local grain handlers to find out
how this decision may affect their marketing plans.
“The European Commission’s decision is a welcome step
forward, although long overdue, and supports NCGA’s goal
of providing information about and promoting acceptance of biotechnology,” said
NCGA President Leon Corzine. “Biotechnology continues to
be one of NCGA’s key priorities and this decision is certainly
encouraging for U.S. corn growers.”
Monsanto’s NK603,
which is designed to be tolerant to the active ingredient in
the Roundup family of agricultural herbicides,
is currently marketed as Roundup Ready Corn 2 in the United States.
In light of today’s decision, growers who planted Roundup
Ready Corn 2 hybrids (single trait, not stacked traits) are encouraged
to check with their local grain handler regarding that facility’s
buying policy.
Growers are encouraged
to access NCGA’s “Know Where
to Go” database
for an updated listing of grain handlers accepting hybrids approved
for use in various countries.
Monsanto is awaiting decisions on separate submissions for its
corn trait technologies combined with NK603. Until these separate
submissions within the European Union (EU) regulatory process are
complete, growers planting hybrids containing Roundup Ready Corn
2 with YieldGard insect-protected technologies will need to market
the grain under the Market Choices certification mark.
The Market Choices certification mark identifies those hybrids
that are fully approved for food and feed use in the United States
and Japan, but are still awaiting the necessary approvals in the
EU. Growers that plant Market Choices hybrids must use appropriate
markets for this grain including domestic feed use or work with
grain handlers who specifically agree to accept the grain and handle
it appropriately. Growers should contact their local seed dealers
and grain handlers for more stewardship details.
Additionally, Corzine
said growers who are making seed buying decisions now, should
access NCGA’s “Know
Before You Grow,” a
database describing the approval status of numerous commercially
available hybrids.
With this decision,
the EU authorizes the use of NK603 for human consumption. At
the same time, the decision completes the necessary
steps for allowing the import, processing and use of NK603 grain
in animal feed in the EU, which was announced in July 2004. Today’s
decision will be published in the Official Journal of the EU in
the coming weeks. The European Commission’s decision does
not include the approval of Roundup Ready Corn 2 for cultivation
in the EU, which is the subject of a separate submission under
Directive 2001/18/EC.