Monsanto has dropped its push for approval from European regulators on two types of “second generation” genetically modified seeds.
The company informed the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that it was withdrawing its approval request for GM maize LY038 and the stacked variety LYo38 x MON810, both of which were designed for the express purpose of accelerating the growth rate of animals.
Some scientists believe that the company’s decision to pull the plug on the approval process was fueled by food safety concerns, rather than the economic constraints cited by the company in its formal withdrawal request.
According to European organic media Green Planet, Monsanto’s subsidiary, Renessen, sent EFSA two letters to confirm the withdrawal. Each letters cites economic demands–saying that the “decreased commercial value worldwide” and the state of the highlysene varieties “will no longer be a part of the Renessen business strategy in the future.”
The paper also noted that Renessen requested that regulators return all the materials relating to the approval process, including experimental protocols and test results, so that no future research can be done on the project.
