From: Kathy [nsiemsen@lisco.com]
Sent: Friday, March 23, 2001 11:44 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Docket 00N-1396 & Docket 00D-1598

Dear Food and Drug Administration,

	I feel that despite overwhelming consumer demand, the FDA has
failed to require health and ecological safety testing or mandatory
labeling, and thus puts MY health, and that of millions of people and our
environment at risk and deprives us of the right to know or choose what we
are eating. As I understand them, your new proprosed rules:

* Do not require mandatory pre-market safety testing
* Do not require pre-market environmental review
* Do not require mandatory labeling of GE foods
* Restrict voluntary labeling of non-GE foods
* Require a mere letter of notification prior to the
  marketing of a GE food
* Fail to ensure public access to adequate information
  for independent review
* Are supported by industry and opposed by consumer groups
* 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.

I feel this is a mistake! I further feel that:

* 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.

These things are upsetting to me and thousands of others in this country.
Why are you turning your backs on us? Please consider WHAT IT IS YOU ARE
DOING and HOW IT AFFECTS the citizenry of this country.

Sincerely,
Kathleen Siemsen