From: TomZitaN@AOL.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2001 3:09 PM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: What's in your food? (FDA Dockets 00N-1396 and 00D-1598)


Dear Corporate and Government Leaders,

Neither government nor industry is protecting Americans from the risks posed to human health and the environment by genetically engineered (GE) foods. The Food and Drug Administration's "new" policy on GE foods (proposed January 18, 2001) continues to let the biotech industry regulate itself; it fails to require the long-term, pre-market safety testing demanded by independent experts. The "voluntary labeling" guidelines are a wholly inadequate response to the overwhelming public support for mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods. Therefore, I urge you to keep all genetically engineered ingredients and crops off the market unless:

1) Independent safety testing demonstrates they have no harmful effects on human health or the environment, 

2) They are labeled to ensure the consumer's right-to-know, and 

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


In addition it is scandalous to allow thepharmapseutical companies to USE the NIH and other publically funded research instituions for their own ends.  Then charge such exorbitant prices for their drugs that they more or less got to know about free!   Also the problems inherent with drugs as opposed to herbs and supplements is a scandal.  Why get so excited about a fewside effects or even a death or two (mostly caused by dumb taking) for supplements when studies indicate time and again that drugs kill in the thousands and hundreds of thousands of really adverse side effects.  Why not bring trytophane back?  Or are the drug companies that produce expensive sleeping potions too strong for the FDA?

 
 too strong for the FDA?


Sincerely

Zita Nielsen
207 3rd St
Solvang, California 93463