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Press Release |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Consumers Union (CU), the nonprofit publisher
of Consumer Reports magazine, today expressed disappointment
that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no plans to require
labeling of foods derived through the use of biotechnology.
"The FDA's new policy falls short of what consumers need," said
Mark Silbergeld, co-director of CU's Washington, DC office. "FDA's
proposal to develop guidelines for voluntary labeling will not help
most consumers who want to know if their food is genetically
engineered. FDA's proposals on safety could be an improvement, but
the devil will be in the details. We will be monitoring it closely
to see how effective it is in helping consumers."
FDA issued a press release today announcing the direction it plans
to take in refining its regulatory approach to genetically engineered
foods, or GE foods (the release is located online at www.fda.gov).
The initiative comes in the wake of meetings held by FDA last year to
gather opinions from the food industry and the general public.
Hundreds testified, and some 30,000 people sent written comments to
the agency.
"The FDA fails to require mandatory labeling for all genetically
engineered food products even though polls show that 70-90 percent of
Americans want it," said Silbergeld. "Therefore, most foods on the
supermarket shelf are unlikely to contain label information about GE
content, whether they are GE or GE free. Consumers will be given
little of the information they say they want when they do the family
food shopping." He explained that because the law is unclear as to
who will be liable if a food is mislabeled "GE Free" if accidentally
contaminated with GE product, the industry will be very reluctant to
make that label claim. Furthermore, GE foods are not likely to be
voluntarily labeled, because companies believe such labels will drive
consumers away.
The FDA would also require biotech companies to notify the FDA
four months in advance of releasing new genetically engineered crops
and provide the agency with "specific information" on safety. This
requirement would apply to imported foods as well as foods grown
domestically. Company data on a product will be made available to
the public on the FDA web site after FDA completes its review.
"The proposed mandatory safety consultation is potentially a step
forward," said Jean Halloran, director of CU's Consumer Policy
Institute. "However," she warned, "the consumer will only benefit if
the FDA implements this effectively. What tests must be done, how
FDA reviews the data and how the government assures that imported
foods meet the new requirements, all remain to be determined."
Halloran added that CU applauds the agency's decision to make
company data available to the public. However she criticized the FDA
for being secretive about how it is handling genetically modified
animal foods, such as salmon modified to enhance growth hormone
production. "FDA should conduct a full and thorough public review of
its policies on engineered animals, similar to the one it completed
on engineered plants," Halloran states.
For more information on genetically engineered foods, go to CU's
web site at: www.consumersunion.org/food/food.htm
Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, is an independent, nonprofit testing and information-gathering organization, serving only the consumer. We are a comprehensive source of unbiased advice about products and services, personal finance, health, nutrition, and other consumer concerns. Since 1936, our mission has been to test products, inform the public, and protect consumers. Consumers Union is online at www.consumersunion.org
