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European Commission urges approval of biotech corn variety

(Sunday, June 27, 2004 -- CropChoice news) -- The Guardian, 06/25/04: The European Commission has proposed that EU governments approve a US company's genetically modified corn for use in processed foods.

The commission said any products containing the corn, known as NK603, would have to be labelled clearly as genetically modified.

The corn -- produced by Monsanto in St Louis, Missouri -- underwent "a thorough safety assessment for any adverse impact on public health," the EU head office said in Brussels.

The proposal to allow the corn to be marketed came a month after the European Union lifted its six-year moratorium on approving genetically modified organisms. The EU's 25 member states now have three months to decide whether to accept it.

European leaders have stressed the importance of the biotech industry as an engine for growth in the 21st century. Yet they are reluctant to be seen as promoting genetically modified foods, which remain unpopular because of recent food-related health scares, from mad cow disease to poisoned poultry.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,1271,-4245073,00.html?=ticker