FDA Denies Americans Right To Know If They Are Eating GM Food

[Guest guest]

Forwarded by Aerielle Louise

Mn. Talk Radio Network

FDA Denies Americans Right To Know If They Are

Eating GM Food

From Aaron Bannon, Media Officer - Greenpeace

http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/ge

1-18-01

WASHINGTON, DC - FDA fails to require testing and labeling of

gene-altered

food despite medical and scientific warnings.

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. None of these

met

scientists' recommendations that gene altered foods be tested for 90

days, nor

did they meet the FDA's own testing requirements for food additives

that

would

require, in some cases, up to two years multiple feeding studies. The

biotech

company studies that FDA relies on to assess new altered crops are

generally

not submitted for peer review and not available for public scrutiny.

Doctors and scientists warn that genetically engineered foods

could

trigger

allergies, have increased levels of toxins, or could hasten the spread

of

antibiotic resistance. The medical journal the Lancet has stated: "It

is

astounding that FDA has not changed their stance on genetically

modified

food. Governments should never have allowed these products into

the food

chain without insisting on rigorous testing for effects on health."

Last fall, Greenpeace released the True Food Shopping List, a detailed

report

of thousands of foods made with genetically engineered ingredients.

"FDA

has

refused to require labels, so Greenpeace took action," added Wilson.

"We

labeled genetically engineered food to give consumers a fighting

chance

when

they go to the store." The list follows:

http://www.truefoodnow.org/gmo_facts/product_list/pf-list.html