Food Makers See Crunch Time Against New Maize for Fuel

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。

Food companies say a new kind of maize 1 could take the crunch 2 out of corn chips and other popular foods.

食品公司表示，一种新型玉米可能使玉米片和其他流行食品失去咀嚼时那种嗄吱嗄吱的声音。

The big Swiss company Syngenta genetically 3 engineered the maize to contain an enzyme 4 called alpha amylase. The company says this enzyme will help the crop produce more ethanol, a renewable fuel, while using less water and energy.

瑞士先正达公司对玉米进行基因改造，使其富含阿尔法淀粉酶。该公司表示，这种酶能帮助玉米在使用更少的水和能源的情况下，生产乙醇这种可再生能源。

Syngenta official Jack 5 Bernens explains how it works.

先正达公司工作人员Jack Bernens解释了这种酶的工作原理。

JACK BERNENS: "It breaks the starch 6 down into sugar which then is obviously fermented 7 into ethanol."

Jack Bernens：“这种酶将淀粉分解成葡萄糖，随后发酵生成乙醇。”

A two thousand seven law requires gasoline in the United States to contain renewable fuels. About forty percent of America's corn crop is being used this year to make ethanol.

美国2007年通过的一项法律要求使用的汽油中包含可再生能源。今年美国大约40%的玉米被用于制造乙醇。

The Department of Agriculture has approved the genetically modified maize without restrictions 8. But five major groups in the food industry say they are concerned that the new maize could enter the food supply. They are not expressing concerns about food safety and have not opposed other genetically engineered crops.

农业部已经批准转基因玉米，没有任何附加条件。但食品行业的5大主要集团表示，他们担心这种新型玉米可能进入食品渠道。他们并非是关心食品安全，也不反对其他转基因作物。

But in a joint 9 statement they say the enzyme that breaks down starch could harm the taste of their products. For example, they say it might soften 10 cereals and cause corn chips to lose their satisfying crunch.

但他们在一份联合声明中表示，这种能够分解淀粉的酶会损害其产品的口味。例如，它可能会软化谷类作物，并导致玉米片失去咀嚼时那种令人满足的嗄吱嗄吱的声音。

Mary Waters heads one of those food groups, the North American Millers 11' Association. She says even a small amount of the maize could cause problems if it mixes with corn used to make food.

玛丽·沃特斯（Mary Waters）负责其中一家食品集团，北美美国磨坊商联盟（North American Millers' Association）。她表示，即使少量的这种新型玉米和制造食品的玉米混合，也可能会导致问题。

MARY WATERS: "It would only take one kernel 12 in ten thousand to affect food processing."

沃特斯：“万分之一的玉米粒都可能影响食品加工过程。”

Snack foods made with corn are a six-billion-dollar industry in the United States.

玉米类休闲食品是美国一项产值60亿美元的产业。

In two thousand one, genetically modified corn made by Syngenta was found in the food supply chain without approval. Syngenta paid a fine to the government.

2001年，先正达公司生产的转基因玉米未经批准流入了食品渠道，被政府处以罚款。

Jim McCarthy, president of the Snack Food Association, says the incident caused no health problems.

美国休闲食品协会（Snack Food Association）会长吉姆·麦卡锡（Jim McCarthy）表示，那次事件并未造成健康问题。

JIM McCARTHY: "But it did cause major disruptions in the availability of food-grade corn. So we do think this will have a major impact. And we're urging Syngenta to rethink this."

麦卡锡：“但那次事件确实导致了食品级玉米供应的中断。所以我们认为这次新型玉米也可能产生重大影响，故我们要求先正达公司重新考虑这点。”

Syngenta says it will take measures to keep the new maize out of the food supply. Jack Bernens says the company will sell seeds only to farmers who take their crops to nearby ethanol processing plants. He says the company will not sell seed in areas where food makers 13 get their maize.

先正达公司表示他们将采取措施避免这种新型玉米进入食品渠道。Jack Bernens称，先正达公司仅向把玉米提供给附近乙醇加工厂的农民出售种子。他表示，公司不会在食品制造商收购玉米的区域出售种子。

Mr. Bernens says the company has done a lot of research and found that the risk from a few kernels 14 is overstated. The food industry groups object to conditions placed on companies that want to study that research. Syngenta says it has trade secrets to protect.

Bernens先生表示，该公司已做了很多研究，发现（食品加工过程中混杂）少量玉米粒会造成的风险被夸大了。食品行业组织对希望就此进行调查的公司提出限制。先正达公司称，这其中包括商业机密。