From: Barbaray [barbaray@open.org]
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2001 9:59 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Docket 00N-1396 & Docket 00D-1598

I am very concerned that the FDA proposes to allow the marketing of genetically engineered (GE) foods without environmental or health testing and without labelling to allow consumers to make up their own minds about whether to eat products with GE foods in them.  I believe that:
 
* The FDA must require mandatory pre-market comprehensive 
  environmental review. Unlike conventional pollutants, 
  where a given amount of pollutant causes a limited amount 
  of damage, a small number of mutant genes could have a 
  population explosion and reproduce forever, causing 
  unlimited and irreparable damage.

* The FDA must require mandatory pre-market long-term health 
  testing. GE products could be toxic, cause allergic 
  responses, have lower nutritional value, and compromise 
  immune responses in consumers.

* The FDA must require mandatory labeling of GE products. 
  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 
  would be deprived of the critical knowledge needed to hold 
  food producers liable should any of these novel products 
  be hazardous.

* The FDA must end its cozy relationship with the industries
  it purports to be regulating. People have been allowed to 
  work for a biotech company, then work for the FDA writing the 
  regulatory rules on that company's product, then go back to
  working for the company.  Ninety-two percent of FDA advisory 
  committee meetings had at least one conflict of interest.
 
Please reconsider your proposed rules and strengthen them with the above provisions.
Thank you.
 
Sincerely,
 
Barbara F. Ciaramitaro
1317 Chemeketa NE
Salem, OR 97301-4152