1. FDA fails to require testing and labeling of gene-altered food
2. The FDA perpetuates the biotech bill of goods
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1. FDA fails to require testing and labeling of gene-altered food despite medical and scientific warnings
[excerpt from purefood.org]
WASHINGTON 17 Jan 01

The rights of American consumers to know what they are eating and feeding their families was today denied them by the Food and Drug Administration.

The new FDA policy proposal, posted on the web today, does not require labeling or any pre-market safety testing of genetically engineered foods. Instead, FDA has sided with the biotech industry, which vehemently fights mandatory labeling of gene-altered food.

“This is a terrible day for American consumers””the government has failed to protect their health and their interests,” said Kimberly Wilson, a Greenpeace Genetic Engineering Campaigner in San Francisco. “While the rest of the world is moving to label genetic foods, U.S. consumers are still denied free choice in the grocery store. Americans deserve to know what’s in their food, yet FDA is working with industry to keep genetic engineering a secret ingredient.”

Last week, a report by the Consumer Federation of America echoed Greenpeace’s calls for mandatory labeling of all genetically engineered food.

Labeling of genetically engineered foods is required throughout Europe, and in Japan, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and other countries.

Food makers do not have to inform consumers if their products contain genetically engineered ingredients under the new FDA policy.

FDA will allow gene-altered foods on the market without long-term safety tests for effects in the diet or the environment.

A new Greenpeace report, Genetically Engineered Food: Still Unlabeled and Untested, has found that only three health studies on genetically engineered foods have been published in peer- reviewed journals... END
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2. The FDA perpetuates the biotech bill of goods     
1/17/01
(January 17, 2001—Cropchoice opinion)

Today the Food and Drug Administration proposed that companies notify it before they introduce any new biotech foods.  The notification part sounds good, but nowhere in the proposal does the federal agency call for independent, peer-reviewed testing and mandatory labeling.  The action stinks, and consumers, especially those in Europe and Asia, will respond by refusing to buy the foods.  In the end, farmers (and processors) take the hit. The biotech companies laugh all the way to the bank.  After all, they will have collected their profit from selling the seeds and the pesticides to the farmers.

Were this proposal to receive approval, the biotech industry would have an easy time complying.  It would say to the FDA: 'By the way, here's the new genetically altered food we're bringing to market in 120 days. It's safe.  Our scientists said so. And, no, we don't want to label it.'

Biotech companies and their supporters in our government know that many consumers, especially those in Asia and Europe, do not want genetically engineered food.  One only need look at the StarLink fiasco to see the opposition to genetically engineered foods.  The governments of European countries, Japan, Australia and New Zealand acted upon citizens' wishes by requiring the labeling of such foods.  Armed with this information and their power to choose, consumers have shunned gene-altered food in favor of conventional or organic varieties.

Farmers also have a choice.  They can end up holding the biotech bill of goods or they can gain full access to domestic and foreign markets by planting non-genetically engineered crops.