US: Walmart happy to sell Monsanto GM sweetcorn
"After closely looking at both sides of the debate and collaborating with a number of respected food safety experts, we see no scientifically validated safety reasons to implement restrictions on this product," the company has stated.
Environmental activists have expressed disappointment over the decision. Earlier this year some retailers, including Trader Joe's and General Mills, said they would not carry genetically modified corn.
The corn in question is resistant to a common herbicide, which enables effective weed spraying of weeds without harming the crops. It also fends off certain insect pests.
Monsanto on Thursday said that the corn, which is being harvested now in the Midwest and Northeast, will help reduce insecticide use in the US.
"Overall, sweet corn makes up less than 1 percent of total corn acreage in the United States … yet accounts for 40 percent of all corn insecticide treatments," the company said in a statement. "Farmers who grow biotech sweet corn can reduce insecticide applications by as much as 85 percent."
Opponents of bio-tech crops say they would like the USDA to demand pre-market testing and mandatory labelling of genetically modified products so consumers can have the choice. They say the absence of any study means that the health risks are unknown.
Such labelling is required by law in the EU, China, Russia, Australia and Japan. The FDA encourages labelling, but does not enforce it.
Source: chicagotribune.com
