Guest guest Posted September 28, 2004 Report Share Posted September 28, 2004 New thread " U.S. PIRG : Say No to Drugs in Your Food " created by James M N at 10:19:29 PM on Monday, September 27, 2004 on Union of Concerned Scientists: U.S. PIRG : Say No to Drugs in Your Food U.S. PIRG : Say No to Drugs in Your Food Dear U.S. PIRG supporter, Recent estimates show that up to 70 percent of the food on your local supermarket shelves has been genetically engineered, meaning that scientists have altered the food by inserting genes from another organism's DNA. Despite the many health and environmental risks posed by Genetic Engineering (GE), very few laws are in place to regulate this industry. Unfortunately, Senator Richard Durbin (IL) has proposed legislation that would further weaken existing regulations on GE foods. Please take a moment to tell both Senator Durbin and your senators that you want Congress to strengthen, not weaken, regulations on GE foods. Then, ask your friends and family to help by forwarding this email to them. To take action, below or paste it into your web browser: http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=810 & id4=ES Background Genetic engineering (GE) is an imprecise technology that artificially splices genes from one organism into another, thus creating a completely new and different crop or animal. Many health and environmental risks posed by genetically engineered (GE) crops and animals have been voiced by scientists but have yet to be adequately explored. As a result, many consumers are rejecting genetically engineered crops and calling for stricter controls on the planting and selling of genetically engineered foods. Despite the risks involved with the production and consumption of GE crops as well as consumer opposition, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the federal agencies responsible for ensuring the safety of genetically engineered crops and animals, have largely left it to the biotechnology industry to regulate itself. In fact several years after this technology has begun to perme ate the food supply, there is still no mandatory safety testing required by the FDA. Senator Richard Durbin, (IL) has proposed a bill that at first glance seems to strengthen regulation of GE by requiring a mandatory safety approval process by the FDA. Unfortunately, this bill would actually weaken the already sparse regulation of GE foods. First, this bill permits the FDA to determine a safe level for GE crops that produce pharmaceutical drugs and are never intended for human consumption. Currently the FDA does not permit food contaminated with pharmaceutical drugs to be placed in the market. If the Durbin bill passes, it would establish a " tolerance " level for food contamination by plant-made pharmaceutical drugs. Therefore the bill would weaken the already poor regulatory structure and expose consumers to unwanted drugs in the very food they eat. Second, the bill does not clearly establish protocols that the FDA would use to test GE crops for safety. The bill permits the FDA to issue a finding that a GE food is " safe " based on vague standards. Any bill addressing the many safety risks that GE foods cause must require the FDA to demand specific tests that would ensure, for example, that the addition of genetic material does not cause severe allergic reactions. Without strict and explicit requirements this bill may make the state of GE food regulation even worse. Finally, the bill permits the FDA to approve the release of genetically engineered animals, like fish, into the food supply and the environment. Studies on fish have shown that if a GE animal is released into the environment it could lead to the extinction of native non-GE species. Furthermore, the safety of human ingestion of GE animals is quite uncertain. GE animals pose great risks and at least for now their release should be prohibited as opposed to encouraged. Please take a moment to let Senator Durbin and your senators know that you deserve safe food and want stricter, not weaker, laws. Then, ask your friends and family to help by forwarding this email to them. To take action, below or paste it into your web browser: http://pirg.org/alerts/route.asp?id=810 & id4=ES Sincerely, Gene Karpinski U.S. PIRG Executive Director GeneK http://www.USPIRG.org P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends. http://pets.care2.com/ " The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men. " -- Plato " Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is socialism. " -- anon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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