Ottawa– The Government of Canada has responded to questions about measures taken to prevent StarLink™ corn from entering Canada. StarLink™ corn is not approved for any use in Canada. Greenpeace submitted a number of questions through a petition process administered by the Office of the Auditor General and the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development. The government response to Greenpeace was developed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), Health Canada, the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Environment Canada, and the department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
The regulation of biotechnology in Canada is founded on a thorough, science-based system that applies rigorous food, environmental and animal health safety assessments to new products, including those derived through biotechnology. When Canada was first informed that StarLink™ corn had made its way into the U.S. food system without approval for human consumption, the Government of Canada acted quickly, in cooperation with U.S. authorities to protect Canada#;s food, grain, seed and feed supply systems.
The Government of Canada takes any violations of regulations it enforces very seriously and pursues appropriate actions to protect Canadian consumers and our environment. Accordingly, the Canadian government, with cooperation from U.S. authorities and importers of corn products continue to take appropriate measures to prevent StarLink™ corn from entering Canada.
The federal government appreciates having this opportunity to respond to this petition from Greenpeace and recognizes the important contribution of this dialogue to the ongoing public debate regarding the regulation of biotechnology derived products.
