Aventis recalled Starlink corn in 2000 because its genetic modification lacked approval for human food.
Starlink was a genetically modified corn variety engineered to produce Cry9C, an insecticidal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis. U.S. regulators had approved it for animal feed but not for human consumption because the protein was considered more persistent in the digestive system and its allergenicity had not been resolved.
The variety entered some food supplies through cross-pollination and accidental mixing. Products containing or suspected of containing Starlink were withdrawn, and testing found traces in taco shells and other corn foods. Aventis, which had developed the variety, became responsible for the major recall.
The event is often remembered as a food-allergy recall, but the central regulatory issue was that Starlink had approval for feed, not food. The episode also raised broader concerns about segregating genetically modified crops after harvest.