GREEN PARTY OF ST. LOUIS/GATEWAY GREEN ALLIANCE | For Immediate Release, November 16, 1999 | Contact: Tammy Shea, 314-458-5026
ST. LOUIS, MO - Green Party representatives say the November 18 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is asking the wrong question at its hearings on genetically engineered food.
According to the FDA, the Chicago hearings are intended to find out if people feel that engineered foods should be labeled. But Tammy Shea, spokesperson for the Green Party of St. Louis/Gateway Green Alliance says that, "Rather than asking whether genetically engineered food should be labeled, the FDA should be asking whether people want them produced at all. Using genetically altered crops limits consumer choice, threatens food safety, does not promote sustainability, and undermines what's left of independent family farms in this country and around the world."
Currently, FDA does not require labels on GM food products. The overwhelming opposition to GM food that began in Europe is spreading in the U.S and has prompted the FDA to find ways to reduce public opposition. Green Party representatives accuse the FDA of allowing GM foods on the market before having a public dialogue on their risks. Ms. Shea points out that "The FDA echoes claims of the biotech industry that there are no health risks to consumers from GM foods. This claim is unsubstantiated due to the fact that the FDA does not require human health studies on these foods."
The Green Parties of Chicago and St. Louis are hosting a forum on dangers of genetically engineered food at 7 pm Wednesday, November 17 at the University of Chicago Biological Sciences and Learning Center, 924 East 57th St. The program will begin with presentations from the Green Party, Greenpeace, Center for Food Safety and Chicago Media Watch. The public is invited to come and make comments.
One of the speakers at the forum will be Don Fitz, spokesperson for the Greens/Green Party USA. He maintains that "Health risks extend far beyond allergenic reactions to nut genes in soy. Engineered products have been linked to loss of food nutrition, acute toxic reactions, immune system disruption and cancer. Producers ask for a 200 fold increase in the use of pesticides on some GE products. The use of viruses and antibiotic resistance markers creates the possibility of disease mutation. The production of genetically engineered food must be stopped."
