From: alan singer [singerlawton@earthlink.net]
Sent: Sunday, March 25, 2001 9:24 AM
To: fdadockets@oc.fda.gov
Subject: Docket 00N-1396 & 00D-1598 / GMO SAFETY ISSUES

To Whom it may concern,
I am joining consumer groups and millions of individuals in opposition to
the rules currently being proposed, which are supposed to provide adequate
assurance of safety to the public for genetically modified organisms. I find
in reviewing theses standards that the protection is being given to the
industries involved in producing these new organisms, NOT the public.
Following are specific objections to the standards:

There is not a stringent enough testing for safety of these new organisms.
The safety for humans consuming these products is not protected adequately.
The safety for introducing these products into the environment is also
inadequately proven.

Consumers who do not wish to have GMO food imposed on them should have that
right. These rules do nothing but force GMO down the throats of American
citizens! Food producers of NON-GMO foods are being penalized as well. The
FDA does not want to allow any label claims of NON-GMO.  The concerns of the
FDA about labeling of NON-GMO food proves just how difficult it is to
control this Pandora once we let her out of the box.

There must be a provision to protect and provide for the public to have
access to sufficient information for INDEPENDENT review. Currently we are
all dependant on the integrity and honesty of the parties conducting the
tests. I am not at all confident that tests are adequate or objective and
given the cover ups of problems with Bovine Growth Hormone and the effect of
BT corn on the Monarch Butterfly, I feel my lack of confidence is well
justified.

I suggest that the FDA go back to the drawing board on this. I suggest that
the FDA consider MORE carefully the protection of public health and safety
with untried and radically different organisms. Consider LESS protecting the
profits of companies whose products are potentially so disruptive. Consider
also protecting the right of the public to choose NON-GMO items and
producers to produce and market those items which people like me would
choose.