From: David Valentine [davidwvalentine@yahoo.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001 8:18 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Docket 00N-1396 & Docket 00D-1598

To Whom It May Concern:

Genetically modified (GM) crops hold great promise for
many benefits to humankind.  They also pose risks,
many of which are unknown, but some of which are. 
These include allergens in novel food sources,
toxicity of Bt-laced pollen to Monarch butterflies,
and the potential for modified genomes to "escape"
into other plants through cross-pollination.

It may be beneficial or even necessary to continue to
develop GM crops.  However, doing so without informing
the consumer about which products contain genetic
modifications is to make it impossible for consumers
to choose for or against these products.  It may be
onerous to keep careful track of whether the various
sources of raw materials of processed products are GM.
 If so, then they should be labeled to indicate that
they may include GM sources so that consumers have the
opportunity to choose.

Under current and proposed policy changes, the right
of the consumer to be informed and able to choose does
not exist.  It is arrogant and foolish for the USDA
and GM producers to insist that there is no need for
such choice--our own country has a sad history of
consequences resulting from the subversion of people's
right to choose against the will of "experts" who
thought they knew what was best.

Finally, if industry fears that mandatory labeling
requirements would dissuade consumers from their
products, then it is incumbent upon them to convince
consumers that GM is a good choice--and not simply
eliminate the choice altogether.

Thank you for your consideration.

David Valentine

=====
David Valentine
Ester, AK

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