ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST: EXTINCT?

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The Brazil nut incident has re-ignited the ongoing debate over the Food and Drug Administration's labeling of genetically engineered foods. According to Dr. Margaret Mellon of the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, D.C., the FDA is disregarding the public's desire to have genetically engineered foods labeled.

"Almost every survey that has been done says that consumers would like to be told," says Mellon. "But consumer desires and fifty cents will get you about a cup of coffee at the FDA."

Dr. Mellon claims that although the FDA does have a policy of labeling biogenetically engineered foods, it is one that caters to the biotech companies themselves.

"The FDA policy relies heavily on the industry in making its decisions about premarket review and notification. Instead of making these decisions itself, the agency provides decision trees for industry. The policy relies almost entirely on the industry to make the right decisions. Since the FDA will not be aware of the full range of genetically engineered products, it will not be in a position to overrule these decisions."

Under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act, all GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) substances won't require premarket government approval. The labeling of all other foods is the responsibility of the biotech companies themselves, a responsibility that Dr. Mellon feels won't be fulfilled unless it serves a company's needs.

"Companies," she says, "will voluntarily label engineered food only when the engineering has produced a trait with direct appeal or benefit to the consumer."

In the case of the allergenic soybeans, Pioneer Hi-Bred International acted quickly and responsibly in publicly reporting their findings.

"When we did the first work, we knew there was a potential for allergenicity, and that's why we sponsored the University of Nebraska study," says Pioneer Hi-Bred spokesman Tim Martin. "When we actually got confirmation that there was an allergen involved we decided to discontinue the program and look in other directions."

To date, only one biogenetically engineered food, the Flavr-Savr tomato, has been certified as marketable by the Food and Drug Administration. The Flavr-Savr, designed by Calgene Incorporated, is a tomato designed to stay fresh longer than conventional tomatoes. According to Calgene, the Flavr-Savr will be in stores starting January 1997. It will be labeled as a genetically modified food and will come with an information packet explaining the science of genetic food modification.

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