From: poates [poates@mum.edu]
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2001 9:06 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Docket OON-1396


FOR THE SAKE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS

GENETICALLY ENGINEERED PRODUCTS
MUST BE LABELED AND TESTED FOR SAFETY!


* 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 reciprocally supportive 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 LOOK AT THE CITIZENS OF THE COUNTRY AS YOUR CHILDREN. LOOK AT THE
NATION AS YOUR FAMILY. THINK BIG AND THINK WISE AND ALLOW WHAT IS RIGHT TO
EXPRESS THROUGH YOU AS IT SHOULD. PLEASE BE THE GUARDIANS OF OUR FOOD
SUPPLY, OF THE LIVES AND HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF OUR CHILDREN, OUR
FAMILIES, FOR NOW AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.