From: gregcromwell@ureach.com
Sent: Monday, February 19, 2001 11:36 AM
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.

Here’s a short list of SOME of the possible side affects of
                                 Genetically Engineered foods:

                                 Genetic Engineering may set off allergies

                                 In 1996, scientists discovered that soybeans that had been
                                 modified with genes from the Brazil nut triggered an allergic
                                 reaction in people allergic to Brazil nuts.Testing on animals did not
                                 reveal this flaw, and the release of the modified soybeans was
                                 halted just in time.

                                 Genetic Engineering can create dangerous new toxics

                                 In 1989, a genetically engineered dietary supplement, tryptophan,
                                 was released to the public.Thirty-seven Americans died, 1,500
                                 were disabled permanently, and 5,000 became sick when the
                                 supplement produced a toxic contaminant in their bodies.The Food
                                 and Drug Administration recalled to supplement, but not before
                                 these tragedies ran their course.

                                 Genetic Engineering can cause antibiotic resistance

                                 Virtually all Genetically Engineered contain “antibiotic resistance
                                 markers” which help the producers identify whether the new
                                 genetic material has been transferred into the host food.The Food
                                 and Drug Administration’s large-scale introduction of these
                                 antibiotic marker genes into the food supply could render important
                                 antibiotics useless in fighting human diseases.

                                 The bottom line is that Genetically Engineered foods need to be
                                 tested and labeled.We deserve to know the affects of Genetically
                                 Engineered foods, and to know what’s in our food so we can make
                                 informed choices.


Sincerely

Greg Cromwell