The European Commission today announced that it has approved
the use of
Monsanto's
YieldGard Rootworm corn (MON 863) and its processed products
as food and food ingredients under the Novel Foods
Regulation.
"Monsanto welcomes the European Commission's ruling on
YieldGard Rootworm corn technology and their affirmation of the
safety of YieldGard Rootworm corn for use in food products,"
said Jerry Hjelle, Vice President of Regulatory Affairs for
Monsanto.
With this announcement, the European Union (EU) authorizes the
immediate use of corn for human consumption. Today's decision is
expected to be published in the Official Journal of the European
Communities in the coming weeks. This announcement complements
the August 2005 decision which allowed the import, processing
and use of YieldGard Rootworm grain in animal feed in the EU.
In addition the EU Commission also granted import, feed and
processing approval of YieldGard Plus, which is a hybrid stack
of YieldGard Rootworm (MON 863) with YieldGard Corn Borer (MON
810). YieldGard Plus is currently under review by the EU for
use in food and food ingredients. The European Commission's
ruling does not include the approval of YieldGard Rootworm corn
or YieldGard Plus for cultivation in the EU or the import
approval for any YieldGard Rootworm combined trait products.
"These decisions are great news for the more than 200 seed
companies and tens of thousands of U.S. farmers who plant
biotech-enhanced corn hybrids," said Ernesto Fajardo, Vice
President of U.S. Crop Production for Monsanto.In light of
today's announcement, growers who planted YieldGard Rootworm
single-trait hybrids are encouraged to check with their local
grain handler regarding that facility's buying policy. Monsanto
is currently awaiting decisions on separate submissions for its
corn trait technologies combined with YieldGard Rootworm. Until
these separate submissions within the EU regulatory processes
are approved, growers who intend to plant combined trait
versions of YieldGard Rootworm hybrids - including YieldGard
Rootworm with Roundup Ready Corn 2, YieldGard Plus or YieldGard
Plus with Roundup Ready Corn 2 - will need to continue to
channel the grain under the Market Choices® certification mark.
For a list of local grain handlers who accept Market Choices
designated hybrids, call 1-866-SELLCORN (1-866-735-5267) or go
to
www.866sellcorn.com.
YieldGard Rootworm corn contains a protein from Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt) (a common soil microbe) that specifically
targets corn rootworm larvae, allowing the corn plant to
naturally protect its roots against the damaging corn rootworm.
The corn rootworm has earned the nickname the "billion-dollar
pest" as the USDA estimates that this pest causes $1 billion in
lost revenue annually to the U.S. corn crop.Since YieldGard
Rootworm corn technology was first introduced in the United
States in 2003, growers have realized numerous on-farm benefits
including superior control of the corn rootworm. The
technology's ability to provide greater root protection than its
non-protected counterpart allows the corn plant to draw more
moisture and nutrients out of the soil. The added moisture in a
dry year, like 2005, provided YieldGard Rootworm farmers with
taller, healthier plants on-farm and greater profitability at
the end of the season. These benefits continue to serve as a
primary driver for adoption.
Monsanto's year-end sales data for 2005 highlight that acres
planted with YieldGard Rootworm corn rose for a third
consecutive season in the United States. YieldGard Rootworm
technology is estimated to have been planted on more than 4
million acres in 2005. Recent company estimates suggest that
acres planted with this technology will expand again in 2006 -
with forecasts of up to 8 million acres planted this coming
season.European Commission news release:
- European Commission authorises placing on
the market of 3 GM maize lines: GA21, MON863 and MON863x810
Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON) is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality.
