Thursday March 1, 12:57 pm Eastern Time

USDA won't confirm presence of StarLink in corn seed

WASHINGTON, March 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. Agriculture Department said on
Thursday it would not confirm the presence of a StarLink biotech protein
in seed destined for this year's corn crop, but said it was investigating the
issue.

Dale Moore, USDA chief of staff, said the department was taking the
situation seriously.

USDA spokesman Kevin Herglotz told reporters that industry
representatives presented ``data'' to USDA and other federal agencies on corn seeds.

Herglotz said by next week there could be an update on the depth of the
problem, but he and Moore refused to elaborate on the data despite repeated questions.

StarLink corn, made by the European drug giant Aventis SA , was
engineered with a protein known as Cry9C to help repel destructive pests. 
Last year, the discovery of StarLink -- a genetically modified variety 
approved only for animal feed -- in human food products caused major 
problems for the U.S. grain industry and a recall of more than 300 food products
because of concerns about possible allergic reactions. The episode also
damaged corn exports to Japan, the number one U.S.
corn market.