From: Center for Food Safety [action@foodsafetynow.org]
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2001 1:45 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 disappointed 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 hardly beneficial 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 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.


My above comments reflect the core issues, but another issue you are 
ignoring by not requiring mandatory labeling at the least is that there 
are many religious organizations that oppose the practice of genetic 
engineering, and by not having the foods labeled, they willunwittingly be 
forced to compromise their ethics, moral, ideals, and faith by eating and 
purchasing that which they idealistically oppose.

Please take this matter seriously, don't llok at it as just a bunch of 
"naderites" gone mad, serioud damage will result from your decision.


Sincerely,
John Everson - Concerned consumer 



John Everson
2706 Mary
St. Louis, MO, 63144

CC: 
The President
Vice President Dick Cheney
FDA Dockets Management [Docket No. 00N-1396]
Senator Christopher S. Bond
Senator Jean Carnahan
Representative William L. (Bill) Clay, Jr.
Representative Todd AkinFDA Dockets Management [Docket No. 00D-1598]


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