Apologies if this has already been posted--I'm a little behind on my reading
:(
See http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/hhbioeng.html
HHS NEWS
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
P99-24 FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Judith Foulke:
202-205-4144
October 18, 1999
Broadcast Media: 301-827-3434
Consumer Inquiries: 888-SAFEFOOD
FDA ANNOUNCES PUBLIC MEETINGS ON BIOENGINEERED FOODS
The Food and Drug Administration today announced a new initiative to engage
the public about foods made using
bioengineering. This initiative will begin with a series of public meetings
to be held in Chicago, Ill., Washington, D.C.,
and Oakland, Calif., this November and December.
At the public meetings, the public will be informed about current FDA policy
for assuring the safety of bioengineered
foods. The public will be asked whether this policy should be modified and
also to comment on appropriate means of
providing information to the public about bioengineered products in the food
supply.
Under FDA policy developers of bioengineered foods are expected to consult
with the agency before marketing such
foods, to ensure that all safety and regulatory questions have been fully
addressed. FDA*s policy also requires special
labeling for a bioengineered food in certain circumstances. For example, a
bioengineered food would need to be called
by a different or modified name if its composition were significantly
different from its conventionally grown counterpart,
or if its nutritive value has been significantly altered. Special labeling
would be required if consumers need to be informed
about a safety issue, such as the possible presence of an allergen that
would not normally be found in the
conventionally-grown product.
"FDA makes sure that our food supply is among the safest in the world," said
Health and Human Services Secretary
Donna Shalala. "Although people have enthusiastically accepted new drugs
made from biotechnology, some consumers
have concerns about the use of this technology in foods, and we need to ask
why those concerns exist and how we can
address them."
Modern bioengineering was first used to produce consumer products in the
early 1980*s when FDA approved
important new drugs to treat a range of diseases. In the 1990*s foods such
as tomatoes, corn, and soybeans produced
through bioengineering began to appear. To date, biotechnology firms have
completed consultation with FDA on more
than 40 food products, and a substantial portion of American cropland is
planted with seeds produced using this
technology.
"FDA*s food regulatory system relies on the best science available to
protect the public," said FDA Commissioner Jane
E. Henney, M.D. "Our scientists are not aware of any reason to question the
safety of currently marketed foods
produced through bioengineering. Nevertheless, as a science- based agency,
FDA will consider any valid scientific
information that suggests the agency should reevaluate its process for
overseeing the safety of these foods."
The first public meeting will be held on November 18 in Chicago, Ill.,
followed by a second on November 30, in
Washington, D.C., and a third on December 13, in Oakland, Calif.
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