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Indianapolis, Indiana
February 22, 2008
Dow AgroSciences LLC has voluntarily retrieved from U.S.
channels of distribution certain hybrid corn seed potentially
containing adventitious, low levels of a regulated biotechnology
event, 59132 (Event 32 or E-32). Dow AgroSciences has advised
and is cooperating fully with U.S. regulatory authorities in
connection with this matter.
This situation creates no human, animal or environmental safety
concerns, because the Bt proteins produced in E-32 corn are
identical to those found in biotech hybrid corn sold
commercially and deemed safe by regulators in the U.S. and other
countries.
Dow AgroSciences has advised U.S. regulators that E-32 was
inadvertently present at extremely low levels in three Dow
AgroSciences commercial corn hybrids planted in limited
quantities in 2006 and 2007. The potential concentration of E-32
in a bag of affected hybrid seed was approximately three seeds
per thousand, which in terms of all the corn grain produced in
the U.S. in 2007 would translate into about two corn grain
kernels per million.
The company’s investigation has concluded that this low level
presence must have originated within a single, small Dow
AgroSciences research plot grown in compliance with applicable
government requirements. No commercial hybrid corn seed sold by
Dow AgroSciences’ licensees and other industry partners would
have been affected.
“While this low level presence does not present safety
concerns,” said Dow AgroSciences President and CEO Jerome
Peribere, “I am disappointed with this incident, and my company
is re-evaluating all relevant processes and procedures to
prevent a reoccurrence.
“We have located and secured the affected seed,” Peribere added,
“and we are firmly committed to working this situation through
with regulators, customers and others, consistent with our
company’s long-standing quality management and product
stewardship commitments.”
E-32 is a “sister” event to HERCULEX™ RW Insect Protection (also
known as DAS-59122-7), which continues to be approved for food,
feed and cultivation in the U.S. and Canada; and is also
approved for food and feed uses in major grain-importing nations
such as the EU, Japan, Korea, China and Mexico.
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