From: Center for Food Safety [action@foodsafetynow.org]
Sent: Friday, March 09, 2001 2:10 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 heard about your new policies regarding genetically engineered (GE) 
 foods, and I am outraged. I can not believe that despite overwhelming 
consumer demand, your agency still fails to require safety testing and 
mandatory labeling for GE foods. As a public agency, you have some duty to 
take into account the public interest, beyond the interests of the 
"public" companies that your policies so obviously are crafted to appease. 
Your “notification” policy is an insult to consumers, and irresponsibly 
ignores strong scientific evidence of numerous potential health and 
environmental risks to GE foods. As a biologist, I am shocked that you 
would ignore the very real threat to biodiversity and ecosystems that 
genetically engineered foods pose. You should be aware that these foods 
could have lower nutrition value, could compromise immune responses in 
consumers, and especially could cause irreparable damage to the 
environment. The lack of interest you pay to the world's ecosystem and the 
citizens of this country is disappointing and disgusting.

I am also greatly opposed to your new “voluntary labeling” policy, which 
denies consumers a basic right to know. Your refusal to require labeling 
of GE foods proves to me that you have caved to the will of the businesses 
rather than listened to the will of the people. The only conscientious way 
to continue to allow GE food in products is to require that they be 
labeled, at least until real research has been done to prove them safe. 
Without mandatory labeling, neither consumers nor health professionals 
will know if an allergic or toxic reaction was the result of a genetically 
engineered food. 

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 demand that you take my very real concerns, along with the 
tens of thousands of others who agree with me, into serious consideration.


Sincerely,



Shasta Pistey-Lyhne
651C Belden St.
Monterey, CA, 93940

CC: 
The President
Vice President Dick Cheney
FDA Dockets Management [Docket No. 00N-1396]
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Senator Barbara Boxer
Representative Sam FarrFDA Dockets Management [Docket No. 00D-1598]


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