From: Center for Food Safety [action@foodsafetynow.org] Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2001 5:41 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 extremely upset 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 may be only 16, but I demand that you listen to what I have to say. Am I not an American, too? Do I not deserve to be heard? I want to be able to sing when I graduate from colloege, but what if I have eaten GE foods and am no longer capable? Would you ruin my dream? Hears something to think about - GROW UP AND LISTEN TO SOMEBODY ELSE'S VOICE EXCEPT YOUR OWN FOR ONCE!!!! 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. Everybody should lable their products, even those "dietary supplement" companies. People have a right to know what they're eating, how it may affect their bodies. I have that right. You inspect the food. You most likely know who produces GE foods and who doesn't. You also have an inkling of what GE foods can do to your body, so you don't need the labels. Well I, just like the rest of the country, don't know. I want that knowledge! 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. Medical discoveries - treatment-wise - are required to be put through years of testing before doctors can even test them on humans. Why aren't these companies put to the same rules? I know that the average nutrient level in the world's soil is not nearly as good as it used to be, but we can take vitamins (most of which are labeled, by the way). Like I said, I may only be 16, but I love my bosy and myself - and I'm not willing to let my health and dreams be tossed down the drain like I'm a dead lab rat of no consequence. I am a human being and I demand you listen. Sincerely, Sonja Standish Sonja Standish 2841 Riverfront Dr Snellville, GA, 30039 CC: The President Vice President Dick Cheney FDA Dockets Management [Docket No. 00N-1396] Senator Max Cleland Senator Zell Miller Representative Cynthia A. McKinney Representative John LinderFDA 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