India to consider US groups' plea on soy-corn

India will consider an appeal by aid groups to allow a planned shipment of soy blended with corn which had been rejected because it was unclear if it had been genetically modified, officials said on Tuesday.

Genetic Engineering Approval Committee in November turned down an application by US-based aid groups CARE and the Catholic Relief Society to import the shipment to make food for impoverished school children.

Officials from the Environment Ministry, which oversees the committee, said the consignment was not approved because it lacked proper certification.

"Our contention is they should certify that it does not contain StarLink or any other genetically-modified and harmful variety," a senior ministry official said.

StarLink - spliced with a gene deadly to the corn borer pest - has been approved in US for animal feed but not for human consumption due to concerns it might cause allergic reactions.

The official said the application only said the food had been tested for human consumption.

A US Embassy spokesman in New Delhi said the soy-corn blend was safe for human consumption and contained no Starlink DNA.

"There is no rejection, they have deferred approval and it is going to the appellate authority and we believe it will make a favourable determination," the spokesman said.

"We are encouraged that the... (committee) has agreed to review the issue of importation of corn-soybean blend for food aid deliveries, especially since it has been proven to be safe for human consumption."

The ministry official said CARE and CRS appeal would be considered on January 28.

He said the groups had also sought approval to import crude soy oil, adding approval had been granted because genetic character is lost once it is made into oil.

The ministry official said India was not against bio-engineered food but all imports must be tested and the approval committee's clearance obtained.

India last year allowed production of three genetically modified cotton hybrids, the first allowed for commercial sowing, after five years of field trials.