Dow AgroSciences LLC has voluntarily retrieved from U.S. channels of distribution certain hybrid corn seed potentially containing adventitious, low levels of a regulated biotechnology event, 59132 (Event 32 or E-32).

Dow AgroSciences has advised and is cooperating fully with U.S. regulatory authorities in connection with this matter.

This situation creates no human, animal or environmental safety concerns, because the Bt proteins produced in E-32 corn are identical to those found in biotech hybrid corn sold commercially and deemed safe by regulators in the U.S. and other countries.

Dow AgroSciences has advised U.S. regulators that E-32 was inadvertently present at extremely low levels in three Dow AgroSciences commercial corn hybrids planted in limited quantities in 2006 and 2007. The potential concentration of E-32 in a bag of affected hybrid seed was approximately three seeds per thousand, which in terms of all the corn grain produced in the U.S. in 2007 would translate into about two corn grain kernels per million.

The company’s investigation has concluded that this low level presence must have originated within a single, small Dow AgroSciences research plot grown in compliance with applicable government requirements. No commercial hybrid corn seed sold by Dow AgroSciences’ licensees and other industry partners would have been affected.

“While this low level presence does not present safety concerns,” said Dow AgroSciences President and CEO Jerome Peribere, “I am disappointed with this incident, and my company is re-evaluating all relevant processes and procedures to prevent a reoccurrence.”

“We have located and secured the affected seed,” Peribere added, “and we are firmly committed to working this situation through with regulators, customers and others, consistent with our company’s long-standing quality management and product stewardship commitments.”

E-32 is a “sister” event to HERCULEXTM RW Insect Protection (also known as DAS-59122-7), which continues to be approved for food, feed and cultivation in the U.S. and Canada; and is also approved for food and feed uses in major grain-importing nations such as the EU, Japan, Korea, China and Mexico.