From: sarah hornstein [mogwai@gofairtrade.net]
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2001 10:48 AM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov

>* The FDA must require mandatory pre-market comprehensive
>  environmental review. Unlike conventional pollutants,
>  where a given amount of pollutant causes a limited amount
>  of damage, a small number of mutant genes could have a
>  population explosion and reproduce forever, causing
>  unlimited and irreparable damage.
>
>* The FDA must require mandatory pre-market long-term health
>  testing. GE products could be toxic, cause allergic
>  responses, have lower nutritional value, and compromise
>  immune responses in consumers.
>
>* The FDA must require mandatory labeling of GE products.
>  Without mandatory labeling, neither consumers nor health
>  professionals will know if an allergic or toxic reaction
>  was the result of a genetically engineered food. Consumers
>  would be deprived of the critical knowledge needed to hold
>  food producers liable should any of these novel products
>  be hazardous.
>
>* The FDA must end its cozy relationship with the industries
>  it purports to be regulating. People have been allowed to
>  work for a biotech company, then work for the FDA writing the
>  regulatory rules on that company's product, then go back to
>  working for the company.   Ninety-two percent of FDA advisory
>  committee meetings had at least one conflict of interest.
>
>I find it unconscionable that the FDA continues to support big business 
at
>the expense of the health and well being of the nations citizens.  The 

>threat
>GENETICALLY ENGINEERED PRODUCTS poise to the long term health of the people
>and the environment is unprecedented, yet the FDA continues to lumber along
>this road of no return where the agrochemical industry is allowed to poison
>the globe while stuffing its own pocketbook.
>
>The FDA, if it is truly an agency whose interest is in the health of the
>country and not the pocketbook of big business, MUST ADOPT THE FOLLOWING
>RULES FOR ALL GE PRODUCTS:
>
>* Require mandatory pre-market comprehensive
>  environmental review. Unlike conventional pollutants,
>  where a given amount of pollutant causes a limited amount
>  of damage, a small number of mutant genes could have a
>  population explosion and reproduce forever, causing
>  unlimited and irreparable damage.
>
>* Require mandatory pre-market long-term health
>  testing. GE products could be toxic, cause allergic
>  responses, have lower nutritional value, and compromise
>  immune responses in consumers.
>
>* Require mandatory labeling of GE products.
>  Without mandatory labeling, neither consumers nor health
>  professionals will know if an allergic or toxic reaction
>  was the result of a genetically engineered food. Consumers
>  would be deprived of the critical knowledge needed to hold
>  food producers liable should any of these novel products
>  be hazardous.
>
>* End its cozy relationship with the industries
>  it purports to be regulating. People have been allowed to
>  work for a biotech company, then work for the FDA writing the
>  regulatory rules on that company's product, then go back to
>  working for the company.   Ninety-two percent of FDA advisory
>  committee meetings had at least one conflict of interest.
>
>Please do not waffle on taking steps to insure the health and well being 
of
>the citizens of this great country.  Adopt the above rules without 
>compromise
>and do justice to your position as guardians of the nations health.

thank you. 
sincerely,
sarah hornstein

==
"Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed.  You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read.  You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride.  And you cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore."

                               --Cesar Chavez

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