From: AJones4554@aol.com
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001 5:18 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Docket 00D-1396 & 00D-1598

March 30, 2001      Letter regarding Docket 00N-1396 & Docket 00D-1598 
(a signed copy of this letter has been sent through the U.S. Postal Service)

Dear Food & Drug Administration:

I am writing this letter to you because of my deep and overwhelming concern 
about Genetically Modified Foods or Genetically "Enhanced" Foods.  I am one 
of millions of citizens who share this concern in the U.S., and believe that 
you should seriously look further at long term scientific studies on these 
foods. In fact, my first preference would be that these foods be taken off 
the market until they are proved safe in long term non-biased extensive 
studies. I am extremely interested in seeing more studies done that look 
closely at the effects these foods, and especially the growing of these food, 
have on pollen allergies and food allergies. If they are not taken off the 
market, then I ask that you require mandatory labeling so that myself, my 
husband, my friends, and family could avoid eating them. Even then, it is 
impossible to avoid breathing the air containing the corn pollens from these 
plants. Why should we have to breathe these when this is against our will.  I 
also ask that you continue to protect and support the labeling of organic 
foods to never include any genetically altered materials.

In addition to my concerns about these foods on my health and the health of 
the American people, I am very disturbed and horrified to find that the 
pollens of some of these foods are killing butterflies and that there may be 
other environmental "side effects" that we do not know about with the growing 
and producing of these foods. Thus, these foods could have a serious impact 
on the health of the planet. If butterflies become endangered species the 
whole world would suffer in more ways than one.

All of these things make these foods far more risky than what they are worth, 
and I am shocked that we have not taken actions like those in Europe who have 
banned them in many places.

The list below clearly states what I would desire your action to be on this 
matter:
* 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.

Sincerely,
B. Ana Jones
9945 Lake Landing Rd.
Montgomery Village, MD 20886