From: Center for Food Safety [action@foodsafetynow.org] Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2001 6:53 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 People at the FDA, I recognize that "YOU" are an agency made up of people often as ignorant or duped as the rest of us. But each of the YOU of YOU, has a family. A family probably touched by cancer and autoimmune diseases. 1/3 people...incredible---will get cancer this year. Allergies and cancer have become industries with big bucks. What good is the money without the health to enjoy it? Can you enjoy life while worrying about friends and relatives who are suffering and we don't know why? I am trying to not write in anger and trying to remember that each of you is a child of God and loved by Him, too. I want you to know how upset I am and many of my friends and neighbors are, too. Most are working two jobs and can't do what I am doing by researching. I see enough concern to be extremely upset. In fact, the more I research...even on the FDA site and now, the Corn Industry's site, I am outraged by the new policies on genetically engineered (GE)foods. The Corn industry is upset because there is already cross contamination. We are being robbed of our freedom to choose. Despite overwhelming consumer demand, the agency still fails to require safety testing and mandatory labeling for GE foods. The “notification” policy is an insult to consumers, and irresponsibly ignores strong scientific evidence of numerous potential health and environmental risks to GE foods. It ignores what should be our right to at least be informed and choose. You should be aware that these foods could be toxic, could and have caused allergic responses, could have lower nutrition value, could compromise immune responses in consumers, and could cause irreparable damage to the environment. I will be happy to document these statements. I am also greatly opposed to the “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. Maybe that is why we are not getting lables..less chance of holding the producers liable for their poor choices. If we can all work together, we won't need to worry about liability. I am willing to let go of it if I know for sure the food producers and industry manufacturers are truly doing their part to work for our benefit and trying to find real solutions, not just more bad ones. The 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 simply cannot accept this attempt to make me and other real people guinea pigs of these untested foods, and I trust you will take my concern along with the thousands of others into serious consideration. Some say they have been tested, but I don't think they are realistically facing what has become epidemic in our society in the way of health problems. I think they are not looking in the right places. Please help us all with looking again at these issues regarding our foods, be it irradiation, GMO's...GE's, or Mad Cow Disease...Please, please look again. Look at those you love so very deeply and picture their health. None of you want to be a part of their misery or your own. I will be in prayer for you..I may not know who you are, but God does and knows even how many hairs are on your head. He loves you and will help you in these significant decisions. Sincerely, Lesley A. King Lesley Ann King 3418 Deer Trails Lane Bow, WA, 98232 CC: The President Vice President Dick Cheney FDA Dockets Management [Docket No. 00N-1396] Senator Patty Murray Senator Maria Cantwell Representative Richard R. LarsenFDA Dockets Management [Docket No. 00D-1598] To the recipient -- this fax/email message has come to you via the Center for Food Safety web site -- a public tool for providing input on food safety issues. The user/site visitor had complete control over editing the content of this message. Thus, the opinions expressed in this message are not necessarily those of CFS or its parent organization, ICTA. Please contact CFS at (202)547-9359 or email office@centerforfoodsafety.org with any questions. Thank you. ___________________________________________________________________________ This letter was composed at www.foodsafetynow.org, a web site maintained by: The Center for Food Safety, 666 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, Suite 302 Washington, DC 20003 PH: (202)547-9359 Fax: (202)547-9429 Email: office@centerforfoodsafety.org web: www.centerforfoodsafety.org