Recall on Proctor and Gamble Pringles Potato Chips

Tuesday July 17 8:54 AM ET
P&G in Japan Recall Chips

TOKYO (AP) - The Japanese unit of Procter & Gamble said Tuesday it
is recalling 800,000 cans of Pringles potato chips after some were found
to contain genetically modified potatoes that are banned in Japan.

The gene-altered NewLeaf Plus and NewLeaf Y, developed by Monsanto
Co.(NYSE:MON - news), based in Creve Coeur, Missouri, are approved
for consumption in the United States but not in Japan.

The potato chips were produced between August and April, and most of
the 8 million cans have already been sold, said Shigeyuki Matsui,
spokesman for Procter & Gamble Far East.

Biotech crops have been developed to increase their resistance to
herbicides or pests and are a growing industry in the United States.

But opposition to biotech foods is strong in Japan, where many people
are worried about the health effects.

In April, a law went into effect in Japan requiring tests for biotech
products. The biotech potatoes were not recalled earlier because the
tests for detecting NewLeaf Plus and NewLeaf Y were not available
until late May, Matsui said.

Procter & Gamble will begin tests to prevent the biotech potatoes from
entering Japan again, he said. He refused to say how much the recall
would cost.

Last month, two Japanese companies recalled potato snacks that
contained NewLeaf Plus and NewLeaf Y. Thirty-five biotech crops have
been approved for food in Japan.