Syngenta announced today that it supports the EU in a targeted certification program* for two animal feed maize products for importation from the USA. This program is intended to ensure that these two products, maize gluten and brewers grain for animal feed, are certified by an accredited laboratory not to contain Bt10.

Syngenta has been working closely with world leading and independent testing laboratory, GeneScan, as well as with the animal feed trade. The certification for EU importation is expected to be operational within a few days at US ports of departure.

“We respect the Commission’s announcement today to ensure compliance with the existing regulations, which is fundamental to maintaining consumer confidence”, said Mike Mack, Chief Operating Officer of Syngenta Seeds. “We are fully committed to continue cooperation with all concerned parties, including the EU Commission and Member States, to achieve this, including bringing this measure to its conclusion when the program is reconsidered by the Commission later this year.”

Bt10 maize is genetically modified maize that was inadvertently planted in very small amounts as Bt11 maize between 2001 and 2004. The proteins expressed by Bt10 and Bt11 are identical, with the Bt gene in a different location in the maize genome; this has no impact on the safety of the maize. Bt10 also has an antibiotic resistance marker gene, which has been approved and widely used around the world for many years, including in the European Union. This marker is not active in the plant and therefore has no impact on the safety profile of the maize.

Syngenta identified the Bt10 event using advanced DNA-based testing. The Bt10 event was found in five Bt maize breeding lines in the USA, three of which were used between 2001 and 2004 primarily for pre-commercial development. The seeds produced could have planted an estimated 37,000 acres (15,000 hectares) in the USA accumulative over the four-year time period. This equates to one-one hundredth of one percent (0.01 percent) of the annual total US maize acreage (annual US maize plantings is 80 million acres or 32 million hectares). Only around 18 percent of US maize is exported to other countries. Therefore, although it is possible that some Bt10 maize could have entered US export channels, any such amount would have been in very small volumes.

Syngenta is a world-leading agribusiness committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative research and technology. The company is a leader in crop protection, and ranks third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Sales in 2004 were approximately $7.3 billion. Syngenta employs some 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange (SYNN) and in New York (SYT).

* Bt10: European Commission requires certification of US exports to stop unauthorised GMO entering the EU