GE corn to enter NZ food chain

Genetically-engineered corn has been approved to enter the New Zealand food chain.

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority today gave the green light for high lysine corn to be imported and sold.

"This corn is used as an animal feed, but it has had its safety assessed as if for human consumption," said NZFSA director Carole Inkster.

"Food containing this GM variety can now be imported and sold in New Zealand, although such products would have to adhere to GM labelling requirements."

She said high lysine corn has been approved as safe by every country asked to assess it.

High lysine corn has been genetically engineered to produce higher than usual levels of an amino acid called lysine.

Pigs and chickens fed conventional corn-based diets need to have lysine added to their feed for optimal animal growth and performance. Animals fed with high lysine corn don't need additional lysine.

- NZPA