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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Swiss biotechnology company Syngenta AG said Tuesday it mistakenly sold to farmers an experimental corn seed genetically engineered to resist bugs that was never approved by U.S. regulators, bolstering critics' claims that the industry needs tighter government scrutiny.
Hundreds of tons of the genetically engineered seeds and resulting corn crop were shipped in the United States and overseas between 2001 and 2004. Federal investigators said there was no health or environmental risk because of the seed's similarity to another Syngenta product already approved for sale and consumption.
"While there are no safety concerns, the regulatory agencies are conducting investigations to determine the circumstances surrounding and extent of any violations of relevant laws and regulations," said Cynthia Bergman, an Environmental Protection Agency spokeswoman. "The U.S. government is also communicating with our major trading partners to ensure they understand there are no food safety or environmental concerns that could affect trade."
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