From: Hill-Caine, Lorinda [hill-cainel@dmjm.com]
Sent: Friday, March 30, 2001 12:46 PM
To: 'fdadockets@oc.fda.gov'
Subject: New rules on genetically engineered 

Sirs and Madams:
 My comments on proposed new rules on genetically engineered 
(GE) foods:
* 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 cozy 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.

Lorinda Hill
Art Director
Creative Marketing Services
DMJM+HARRIS
Los Angeles
213/381-3663 x 2282
or 800/421-8631