From: thatgirlonabuzz@hotmail.com
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2001 11:00 AM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Cc: thatgirlonabuzz@hotmail.com
Subject: Oppose FDA's New Regulations on Genetically Engineered Food

Rachel diCerbo
109 S. Harrison Ave
Iselin, NJ  08830

thatgirlonabuzz@hotmail.com


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. And any of these may not happen until years later, when least expected. We cannot keep manipulating science and nature without some sort of drastic consequences somewhere down the road.

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.

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,



Rachel diCerbo