One of the world's largest agrochemical companies distributed several hundred tons of an unapproved strain of genetically modified corn seed over the past four years, according to a report released Tuesday by the scientific journal Nature.
The experimental seed, called Bt 10, distributed primarily in the United States by Swiss firm Syngenta, is not believed to pose a safety risk to humans or the environment, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. However, critics of genetically modified foods say the incident is a wake-up call to regulators who have not done enough to monitor the industry.