Genetic Engineering Dangers

In a landmark lawsuit filed against the US Food and Drug Administration, nine eminent scientists, including some of the FDA's own, are taking the agency to court to obtain mandatory safety testing and labeling of genetically engineered foods.

They have been joined by a host of consumer groups, religious organizations and concerned scientists. The suit claims that every genetically engineered food in the US is on the market illegally and should be recalled for rigorous safety testing. The plaintiffs claim FDA's own records reveal that it declared genetically engineered foods to be safe in the face of broad disagreement from its own experts.

Agency scientists repeatedly cautioned that GE products entail different risks than do their conventionally produced counterparts. The advice was consistently disregarded by the bureaucrats who crafted the agency's current policy. The suit says the agency violated the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Safety Act, allowing genetically engineered foods to be marketed without testing on the premise that they are generally recognized as safe by qualified FDA scientists. http://www.biointegrity.org/index.html

A Brazil federal court has ruled in favor of maintaining a ban on the growing and importing of genetically engineered crops into the country. The court agreed with environmental and consumer rights groups who say not enough is known about genetically engineered crops to assure safety.

A coalition of activist groups has launched a new campaign to pressure major food companies to stop using genetically engineered ingredients in their products. Campbell Soup is the first major company targeted. However, since Greenpeace has already had an action going against Kellogg's, they are also included in this initial effort. See also Genetic Engineering - Evolution or Mutation