ISU expert to serve on StarLink panel

Only one Iowan has been appointed to a science advisory panel that will help the U-S E-P-A determine whether StarLink corn should be approved for human consumption. Iowa State University professor Charles Hurburgh says it’ll be both an honor and a challenge to be among the 15 members.Hurburgh is a professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and is manager of I-S-U’s Grain Quality Laboratory. StarLink is not currently approved for people to eat, only livestock, yet it has slipped into the human food chain. Hurburgh says his specific task as a panelist is to address the grain handling and processing questions.Hurburgh’s area of expertise is in grain handling and processing. The panel also includes a toxicologist, allergist, pediatrician, food safety scientist, ag economist, plant scientist, pesticide specialist and an environmental health scientist. He hasn’t made up his mind yet about whether StarLink should be okayed for people to eat.The advisory panel will meet in Washington D-C on November 27th and will hold a public hearing there on the 28th. The panel will then meet privately to formulate its report to the E-P-A by December first.