From: Mary Wildfire [mwildfire@hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2001 3:53 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Docket No. OON-1396 & Docket No. 00D-1598

I am writing to suggest that the failure to include mandatory pre-market 
testing for safety of genetically engineered food ingredients looks to the 
ordinary consumer like pure conflict of interest. I realize that industry 
has many soothing arguments to the effect that these organisms are no 
different than those attained by conventional breeding (except when they're 
applying for patents-- then the organisms are "revolutionary"). They cannot, 
of course, be considered unbiased.
May I suggest that your policy be amended to:
1- require that any such new product be extensively tested for health and 
environmental safety problems, preferrably by an unbiased third party, and
2 require they be labeled both so that consumers who choose to avoid them, 
or who choose to avoid certain ingredients, will be able to do so without 
dropping out of the modern food system altogether, and also so that if, 
despite testing, a problem eventually crops up, it can be traced and quickly 
dealt with.
3- Separate from the above, I propose a general FDA policy which should 
apply also to EPA and USDA and OSHA: No one who has worked for a regulated 
industry should be eligible to work for the regulatory agency, EVER. No one 
who has worked for a regulatory agency should be able to work legally for a 
regulated company, EVER. Each person should choose. As it stands, corruption 
is inevitable and endemic.
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