From: bgr@world.std.com
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2001 8:18 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: What's in your food? (FDA Dockets 00N-1396 and 00D-1598)


Dear Corporate and Government Leaders,

Genetically engineered food ingredients or crops should not be allowed on the market until: 

1) Independent safety testing demonstrates they have no harmful effects on human health or the environment, 

2) They are labeled to ensure the consumer's right-to-know, and 

3) The biotechnology corporations that manufacture them are held responsible for any harm.

Please consider that the future of all of us and our world is at stake -- including your family and the planet they need to survive.  Short-term financial interests of large corporations must not be allowed to continue to put the entire planet at risk.  

Genetically engineered crops have been deemed by the FDA to be equivalent to natural crops, and thus have not been subject to any required testing or scrutiny.  They have been introduced to our environment and our diets with no consideration for the long-term environmental and health consequences.  There may be a way to safely use biotech advances for the benefit of our species and our planet, but this is not being done now.

Even those who think they benefit from the financial gain they receive are short-sighted.  They too may suffer the consequences if their world-wide uncontrolled experiment goes awry.

Please look to the future for all our children.

Thank you,

Beverly G. Rich


Sincerely

Beverly Rich
43R Water Street
Natick, Massachusetts 01760-6050