Send your emails to fdadockets@oc.fda.gov. In the subject line write

"re: dockets 00N-1396 and OOD-1598,"



FDA Commissioner Jane Henney

Dockets Management Branch (HFA 305)

Food and Drug Administration

5630 Fisher's Lane, Room 1061

Rockville, MD 20852



We are in a potentially catastrophic situation. The introduction of untested, genetically modified organisms into the food supply is a risk that frankly, millions of Americans are not willing to take.

These "foods" must be labelled. They must be tested. We need comprehensive data that will tell us:

1) What particular modifications are in which crops.

2) A means of identifying trouble, warning people of dangers, and returning to the source of the genetically dangerous "foods."

Your administration is responsible for safeguarding our food supplies. You must institute labelling and tracking of genetically modified products. We are not guinea pigs for corporations. We are American citizens with a right to know what we and our developing children are ingesting. Failure to act may later be seen as a crime against the health and welfare of the American people, tantamount to treason.

We have a right to know, and to buy or to not buy food based upon that knowledge.

Sincerely,

JG







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P A N U P S

Pesticide Action Network Updates Service

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Action Alert: Tell U.S. FDA to Test GE Food!



February 26, 2001



In the final days of the Clinton administration, the U.S. Food and

Drug Administration (FDA) submitted its long awaited policy on

genetically engineered foods. In total disregard of consumer

concerns, the proposed policy will not require any pre-market safety

testing or labeling of genetically engineered (GE) food.



Instead, the FDA requires only that biotech food producers engage in

"consultations" with the agency and provide information on their

products. The information, which must be submitted only three months

before the product is marketed, will be posted on the Internet

during the agency's review. Some information may be kept secret,

however, if companies can demonstrate to FDA that it is confidential

business information or "trade secrets." Industry studies that FDA

examines in its review of new products are not submitted for

scientific peer review and will not be available to the public.



FDA also proposed guidelines for a voluntary labeling system in

which companies labeling their products as "GE-free" or "Non-GMO"

bear the burden of certifying, testing and labeling their foods,

while companies that use GE ingredients do so without any

requirements to inform consumers through labeling.



Under the current U.S. regulatory framework, FDA has the authority

to regulate all GE food under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic

Act. To date, however, FDA has not required any testing for the vast

majority of GE crops. Instead, companies producing GE crops can

voluntarily consult with FDA to confirm the regulatory status of

their products. Companies choosing to participate in the

consultation process are not required to conduct any standard set of

safety tests on their products. In fact, companies that have

voluntarily conducted safety studies only need to submit summaries

of those studies to the FDA. Because the FDA reviews only summaries,

not data, from safety studies, it does not publish conclusions on

the safety of individual GE foods.



The proposed rule will make this voluntary consultation process

mandatory, but no additional testing or data submission will be

required. FDA continues to maintain that GE crops are "substantially

equivalent" to crops bred using traditional methods, despite growing

evidence to the contrary. There is mounting scientific evidence of

potential health risks related to GE foods, such as allergic

responses, toxicity and lower nutritional value. Under FDA's new

notification rule, GE foods will continue to reach supermarket

shelves without any testing required for these health problems.



The public can comment on FDA's proposed policy until April 3, 2001.

Write to FDA Commissioner Jane Henney and tell her that you are

outraged that FDA continues to ignore the safety concerns of

consumers, doctors and scientists, in favor of protecting the

economic interests of biotech companies. Demand that FDA change its

policy to require labeling and pre-market safety testing of all

genetically engineered foods.



Send your emails to fdadockets@oc.fda.gov. In the subject line write

"re: dockets 00N-1396 and OOD-1598," or send a letter referencing

the same dockets to:



FDA Commissioner Jane Henney

Dockets Management Branch (HFA 305)

Food and Drug Administration

5630 Fisher's Lane, Room 1061

Rockville, MD 20852



For an overview of GE crops and foods, see PANNA's online

presentation at:

http://www.panna.org/panna/resources/geTutorial.html.



For a thorough analysis of the proposed rule, visit the Center for

Food Safety Web site: http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org.



For the full text of the FDA proposed rules, visit:

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/oc/ohrms/advdisplay.cfm.



For an overview of U.S. regulation of GE crops, visit the Union of

Concerned Scientists Web site:

http://www.uscusa.org/food/gen.policy.html.



Source/contact: PANNA.



PANUPS is a weekly email news service providing resource guides and

reporting on pesticide issues that don't always get coverage by the

mainstream media. It's produced by Pesticide Action Network North

America, a non-profit and non-governmental organization working to

advance sustainable alternatives to pesticides worldwide.



You can join our efforts! We gladly accept donations for our work

and all contributions are tax deductible in the United States. Visit

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I making this into a pamphlet.