Food Safety Official’s Ties to Monsanto Spur Petition Drive

A top U.S. regulator’s ties to Monsanto Co., a maker of genetically modified food, are fueling an election-year recall push by consumer and public-interest groups flexing their clout on the Internet.

Michael Taylor, the Food and Drug Administration’s deputy commissioner for food safety, is at the center of a burgeoning dispute between opponents who have amassed more than 420,000 signatures on an online petition demanding he be fired and supporters who praise his efforts to curb foodborne illnesses.