From: Center for Food Safety [action@foodsafetynow.org]
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2001 6:47 PM
To: FDA Commissioner
Cc: president@whitehouse.gov; vice.president@whitehouse.gov;
fdadockets@oc.fda.gov; fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Oppose the New FDA Regulations on GE Foods!

FDA Commissioner 
Dockets Management Branch (HFA 305)
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fisher's Lane, rm. 1061
Rockville, MD 20852

RE: Docket No. 00N-1396, and 00D-1598

Dear FDA,
 
I am outraged by your new policies on genetically engineered (GE)foods. 
 Despite overwhelming consumer demand, your agency still fails to require 
safety testing and mandatory labeling for GE foods. Your “notification” 
policy is an insult to consumers, and irresponsibly ignores strong 
scientific evidence of numerous potential health and environmental risks 
to GE foods. You should be aware that these foods could be toxic, could 
cause allergic responses, could have lower nutrition value, could 
compromise immune responses in consumers, and could cause irreparable 
damage to the environment. I want to emphasize the phrases "strong 
scientific evidence", "insult to consumers"(read as "human beings"), and 
"irreparable damage".  In other words, we aren't stupid henny pennys, 
spaced out on new age tofu bars. Some of us are already sick. Some don't 
have the time or energy to tell you how sick. 

I am also greatly opposed to your new “voluntary labeling” policy, which 
denies consumers a basic right to know. 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 
will also be deprived of the critical knowledge they need to hold food 
producers liable should any of these novel foods prove hazardous. Even 
after labeling is in place, the brunt of the effort to maintain health 
from this attack is still on the consumer, starting with, for some 
individuals, the ability to read and comprehend the labeling. Those on the 
lowest rungs of the economic ladder will be challenged the most, just to 
avail themselves of the foods they know are best for them.

Your proposed rules ignore serious concerns, and appear to be a decision 
made to convenience industry at the expense of public health and the 
environment. I will not accept your attempt to make me a guinea pig of 
these untested foods, and I trust you will take my concern along with the 
thousands of others into serious consideration.


Sincerely,



Jeanie Krogh
PO Box 688
Arcata, CA, 95518

CC: 
The President
Vice President Dick Cheney
FDA Dockets Management [Docket No. 00N-1396]
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Barbara Boxer
Representative Mike ThompsonFDA Dockets Management [Docket No. 00D-1598]


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