P99-24 FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Judith Foulke: 202-205-4144
October 18, 1999
Consumer Inquiries: 888-SAFEFOOD
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.