From: Julia Grella [risorgimento@earthlink.net]
Sent: Sunday, April 01, 2001 6:04 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: re: dockets 00N-1396 and 00D-1598

Dear Sir or Madam,

Please require mandatory pre-market comprehensive
environmental review for genetically engineered crops and foods.  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 public needs to be informed of what the dangers are.  This must not be a
decision left up to the industries that the FDA is supposed to be
regulating.

Further, please require mandatory pre-market long-term health
testing of the effects of genetically engineered products. GE products could
be toxic, cause allergic responses, have
lower nutritional value, and compromise immune responses in
consumers.

In addition, please 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.  Do not put the health of
unsuspecting Americans at risk by allowing these products to be unlabelled!

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Julia Grella
New York, NY 10033
U.S.A.