From: Center for Food Safety [action@foodsafetynow.org]
Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2001 3:29 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 FDA,
 
I am outraged by your new policies on genetically engineered (GE)foods. 
 Despite overwhelming consumer demand, your agency still fails to require 
safety testing and mandatory labeling for GE foods. Your “notification” 
policy is an insult to consumers, and irresponsibly ignores strong 
scientific evidence of numerous potential health and environmental risks 
to GE foods. You should be aware that these foods could be toxic, could 
cause allergic responses, could have lower nutrition value, could 
compromise immune responses in consumers, and could cause irreparable 
damage to the environment. 

I am also greatly opposed to your new “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.

My family, friends and coworkers are considering a boycott on all 
restaurants and grocers that carry GMO food products.  Because of the US 
FDA's mandate of "voluntary labeling" for GMO products, this will mean 
that we will boycott almost every restraurant and grocer.  The only safe 
harbor that you have afforded to me an my loved ones is to shop only at 
places that provide 100% organic food.  It is shameful that you have put 
the burden of knowing if a particular food is GM or not on innocent people 
who are only trying to provide their families with healthy food. In doing 
so, the FDA has failed at its role of protecting the American public from 
harmful products.

Your 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 will not accept your attempt to make me a guinea pig of 
these untested foods, and I trust you will take my concern along with the 
thousands of others into serious consideration.


Sincerely,



Jonathan Simon
14428 75th AVE NE
Bothell, WA, 98011

CC: 
The President
Vice President Dick Cheney
FDA Dockets Management [Docket No. 00N-1396]
Senator Patty Murray
Senator Maria Cantwell
Representative Jay InsleeFDA 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