Planet Ark : Farmers in $110 mln StarLink deal

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Farmers in $110 mln StarLink deal - lawyers

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USA: February 10, 2003

CHICAGO - A group of farmers reached a $110 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit against StarLink Logistics Inc. and Advanta USA Inc. over unapproved genetically modified StarLink corn that slipped into the food chain in September 2000, lawyers for the farmers said.

Melvyn Weiss of the law firm Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach LLP said the plaintiffs were farmers who did not grow the StarLink variety.

The farmers claimed they had suffered financially from a drop in corn prices due to StarLink's detection in food products and the subsequent decline in exports. The Starlink corn is not approved for human consumption for fear it could trigger allergic reactions.

The law firm said Judge James Moram of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on Wednesday gave preliminarily approval to the settlement, which is subject to further court review before becoming final.

REUTERS NEWS SERVICE

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