Maybe Just a Tad More Cornstarch

Agricultural products giant Archer Daniels Midland has agreed not to advertise that plastics made with its “special cornstarch” biodegrade so quickly that they cut down on trash in landfills, the Federal Trade Commission said Friday.

The agreement, for now, is moot. The product was discontinued two years ago.

Illinois-based ADM said its Master Batch was “a special cornstarch that causes plastic to begin to degrade in as little as six months” and specifically said the process worked in landfills.

The FTC said the landfill claims could not be substantiated.