From: Mark Huebner [mkhuebner@sprynet.com]
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2001 10:41 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Cc: Beverly Lemons; Rhea Worrell; Larry Dungan; Sharon Herron; Barbara &
Robert Huebner
Subject: re: dockets 00N-1396 and 00D-1598

FDA Commissioner Dockets Management Branch
(HFA 305) Food and Drug Administration 5630 Fisher's Lane,
Room. 1061 Rockville MD 20852

Dear FDA Commissioner,

I told you once before and I'll tell you again that I am holding YOU
personally responsible for whatever genetic engineering does to
our health and environment.  It looks like you have caused permanent
contamination of our corn crops.  Pollen from the BT corn is killing birds
that fly through the corn fields.  BT corn is killing Monarch butterflies.
BT toxin is getting into the soil and killing beneficial soil organisms.
All genetically engineered crops have antibiotic resistance genes
spliced into them.  Now researchers have found out that these genes
can come out and get into dangerous bacteria in our throat and
intestines.  What the hell do you think you are doing?  Are you
planning on wiping out the human race or destroying a billion
years worth of genetic evolution?  As far as I am concerned, you
have violated the public trust.

The government is planning on a missle defense system yet all the
American people are being subjected to untested, most likely
dangerous genetically engineered food without their knowledge or
consent.  THIS IS HIGHLY UNETHICAL AND CRIMINAL!

The American people employ YOU and YOU better start protecting
us from this reckless genetic engineering!

The proposed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations fail to
require labels or safety tests on genetically engineered (GE) food. The
new rules continue to deny Americans the right to know what is in our
food, while protecting the economic interests of biotech corporations.

Labeling GE foods would protect the public from potential hazardous
health effects such as food allergies and toxicity that can only be traced
if GE foods can be identified. By refusing to require both labeling and
mandatory pre-market safety testing of foods, the FDA puts consumer's
health at risk, ignores possible environmental hazards, and fails to
satisfy the overwhelming desire of American consumers to exercise freedom
of choice in the marketplace.

It is not enough to require that firms simply notify you of their intent
to market a food produced with genetic engineering; this is no substitute
for thorough pre-market safety testing. The proposed "voluntary labeling"
guidelines will do nothing to inform consumers of the presence of
genetically engineered ingredients in their food, because biotech companies
and food manufacturers have vehemently opposed labeling in the past and
will not voluntarily label their foods in the future.

Therefore, I urge you to keep all genetically engineered ingredients and
crops off the market unless or until:

1) Independent safety testing demonstrates they have no harmful effects
on human health or the environment.  Human feeding trials should be
conducted
for at least three generations (i.e., 75-100 years) to determine whether
these
genetically engineered plants are safe for human consumption;

2) They are labeled to ensure consumers¹ right-to-know; and

3) The biotechnology corporations that produce them are held responsible
 for any harms they may cause.

4) Organic farming is protected from genetic contamination and laws are in
place that allow organic farmers to sue for contamination of their crops.


Mark K. Huebner
200-3 Mahone Street
Durham, NC 27713
mkhuebner@sprynet.com