From: Gayle Brandenburg [gjbburg@earthlink.net]
Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2001 1:40 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Docket 00N-1396 & Docket 00D-1598




To those in charge:

I am personally appalled at the disrespect for life exhibited by politicians who allow the following atrocities to occur in our country.  Other countries are more caring of the environment and their own citizen to even allow genetically engineered products into their food supply.  I'm sure there is much I am not aware of; the problem here I would like to dismiss as a very bad dream!!  It is so obvious what is happening, you are being manipulated and do not care about the seven generations in the future - or the current one!

GENETICALLY ENGINEERED PRODUCTS 
MUST BE LABELED AND TESTED FOR SAFETY!

The proposed rules do not represent guidelines for protecting the environment or humanity:  AND

* 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

I feel the following must be addressed immediately:

* 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.


--- Gayle Brandenburg
--- gjbburg@earthlink.net
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