USDA to Buy All of Aventis’ Biotech Corn

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said that it will buy all the bushels of a biotech corn variety originated by Aventis Corp., and that the company will have to reimburse the government for handling costs. The variety of corn, sold to farmers as StarLink, is not allowed in human food but was discovered in some taco shells sold in grocery stores. “The USDA will initially purchase the corn from the farmers, handle the corn to ensure that it does not enter the food supply, and then Aventis will reimburse USDA for the cost,” the USDA said in a statement issued with the Environmental Protection Agency. The plan guarantees that U.S. farmers who planted StarLink corn will be reimbursed for this year’s crop. The action is also intended to prevent more StarLink corn from making its way into food manufacturing. Kraft Foods Inc., a unit of Philip Morris Cos., last week recalled taco shells it manufactured for stores under the Taco Bell name after its tests confirmed the presence of the StarLink variety in some packages.