Nov 02, 2009 (PRWeb.com via COMTEX) -- The European Commission announced that it has approved a biotech corn product for food, feed, import and processing jointly developed by DuPont (http://www2.dupont.com/DuPont_Home/en_US/index.html) business Pioneer Hi-Bred and Dow AgroSciences LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Dow Chemical Company.
Corn products containing the Herculex(R) RW (http://www2.dupont.com/Biotechnology/en_US/products/plant_biotech_products/herculex_rw/overview.html) protection trait stacked with Roundup Ready(R) Corn 2 (also known as 59122/NK603) are now permitted for import into the European Union (EU).
"We are encouraged by this approval and look forward to continued progress of biotech approvals in the EU," said Pioneer Hi-Bred (http://www.pioneer.com/web/site/portal/meniutem.92b980d97004729ff671a22d10093a01) President Paul E. Schickler (http://www2.dupont.com/Our_Company/en_US/executives/schickler.html). "We urge the Commission and EU Member States to similarly approve biotech crops for cultivation so Europe's farmers have access to the same technologies as other farmers around the world."
Products containing the stacked trait (59122/NK603) were assessed to be safe for use in food and feed by the EU's own independent scientific authority, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), in December 2008, and already have been approved in eight countries around the world. Pending publication in the Official Journal in the coming days, this product now is authorized for import into the EU in accordance with EU regulations, including the appropriate labeling and traceability of the products and their derivatives.
Herculex(R) RW contains the Bt trait to provide an environmentally improved means of protecting corn plants against attacks by the corn rootworm by reducing the need to use insecticides. The Roundup Ready(R) Corn 2 gene allows growers to effectively and efficiently control weeds in their fields, allowing the corn plants to achieve their full yield potential.
"These approvals tell us that the EU recognizes both the benefits of our biotech products, the extensive health and safety research that supports their use - and the importance of a functioning regulatory approval process for food and feed authorizations to ensure that European livestock products have continued access to these products," said Dow AgroSciences President and CEO Antonio Galindez.
The Herculex(R) RW, Roundup Ready(R) Corn 2 stack was developed from traditional breeding methods of two genetically modified corn lines (59122 maize and NK603 maize) and contains no new genetic modifications. Herculex(R) RW and Roundup Ready(R) Corn 2 were approved by the EU for food, feed, import and processing in October 2007 and March 2005, respectively.
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a top-tier agricultural company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. Dow AgroSciences provides innovative technologies for crop protection, pest and vegetation management, seeds, traits, and agricultural biotechnology to serve the world's growing population. Dow AgroSciences will market this technology in its soybean seed brands including Mycogen, Brodbeck, Dairyland, and Renze. Global sales for Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, are $4.5 billion. Learn more at www.dowagro.com.
Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world's leading source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics in nearly 70 countries.
DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.
Herculex(R) RW Rootworm Protection technology by Dow AgroSciences and Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business. Herculex(R) and the HX logo are registered trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC.
Roundup Ready(R) is a registered trademark used under license from Monsanto Company.
Contacts:
DuPont Doyle Karr 515-270-3428
Dow AgroSciences LLC Garry Hamlin 317-337-4799
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Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/DuPont/Herculex_RW/prweb3148194.htm.
PRWeb.com
Corn products containing the Herculex(R) RW (http://www2.dupont.com/Biotechnology/en_US/products/plant_biotech_products/herculex_rw/overview.html) protection trait stacked with Roundup Ready(R) Corn 2 (also known as 59122/NK603) are now permitted for import into the European Union (EU).
"We are encouraged by this approval and look forward to continued progress of biotech approvals in the EU," said Pioneer Hi-Bred (http://www.pioneer.com/web/site/portal/meniutem.92b980d97004729ff671a22d10093a01) President Paul E. Schickler (http://www2.dupont.com/Our_Company/en_US/executives/schickler.html). "We urge the Commission and EU Member States to similarly approve biotech crops for cultivation so Europe's farmers have access to the same technologies as other farmers around the world."
Products containing the stacked trait (59122/NK603) were assessed to be safe for use in food and feed by the EU's own independent scientific authority, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), in December 2008, and already have been approved in eight countries around the world. Pending publication in the Official Journal in the coming days, this product now is authorized for import into the EU in accordance with EU regulations, including the appropriate labeling and traceability of the products and their derivatives.
Herculex(R) RW contains the Bt trait to provide an environmentally improved means of protecting corn plants against attacks by the corn rootworm by reducing the need to use insecticides. The Roundup Ready(R) Corn 2 gene allows growers to effectively and efficiently control weeds in their fields, allowing the corn plants to achieve their full yield potential.
"These approvals tell us that the EU recognizes both the benefits of our biotech products, the extensive health and safety research that supports their use - and the importance of a functioning regulatory approval process for food and feed authorizations to ensure that European livestock products have continued access to these products," said Dow AgroSciences President and CEO Antonio Galindez.
The Herculex(R) RW, Roundup Ready(R) Corn 2 stack was developed from traditional breeding methods of two genetically modified corn lines (59122 maize and NK603 maize) and contains no new genetic modifications. Herculex(R) RW and Roundup Ready(R) Corn 2 were approved by the EU for food, feed, import and processing in October 2007 and March 2005, respectively.
Dow AgroSciences LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is a top-tier agricultural company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element" to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. Dow AgroSciences provides innovative technologies for crop protection, pest and vegetation management, seeds, traits, and agricultural biotechnology to serve the world's growing population. Dow AgroSciences will market this technology in its soybean seed brands including Mycogen, Brodbeck, Dairyland, and Renze. Global sales for Dow AgroSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company, are $4.5 billion. Learn more at www.dowagro.com.
Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is the world's leading source of customized solutions for farmers, livestock producers and grain and oilseed processors. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer provides access to advanced plant genetics in nearly 70 countries.
DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.
Herculex(R) RW Rootworm Protection technology by Dow AgroSciences and Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business. Herculex(R) and the HX logo are registered trademarks of Dow AgroSciences LLC.
Roundup Ready(R) is a registered trademark used under license from Monsanto Company.
Contacts:
DuPont Doyle Karr 515-270-3428
Dow AgroSciences LLC Garry Hamlin 317-337-4799
###
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/DuPont/Herculex_RW/prweb3148194.htm.
PRWeb.com
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