Jane Henney, US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner (FDA Consumer, January-February 2000).
It's interesting to note that Dr. Henney aptly points out that "all crops have been genetically modified through traditional plant breeding for more than a hundred years." (FDA Consumer, January-February 2000). Biotechnology merely speeds up the process of traditional plant breeding.
Crops produced through biotechnology are regulated by three agencies of the federal government. Nearly every aspect of a biotech crop is compared with its traditional counterpart. This rigorous testing ensures the safety of the food for consumers.
Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA will not approve a crop if it poses unacceptable risk to human health, wildlife or the environment. The crops are tested for allergenicity and other possible effects. Since 1996, biotech crops have been used in foods and feeds consumed by millions with absolutely no adverse effect.
Department of Agriculture. The USDA requires that all newly created crops undergo several seasons of field trial testing. And the agency will not approve new crops if they pose a risk of becoming a plant pest or creating a plant pest in the environment. .
Food and Drug Administration. Every new crop on the market today has been reviewed by the FDA, which will not give its blessing unless the improved variety is found to be substantially equivalent to or as safe as the conventionally produced variety. .
The FDA's current consultation process (1) has fully achieved its intended purpose, which is to ensure that new plant varieties, including those developing using biotechnology, are safe and nutritious. Since the early 1990s when the first products were ready for market, all developers of biotech plant varieties have consulted extensively with FDA and all such varieties commercialized have been safe for human and animal consumption. There is not one single example of a health problem, nor have there been any demonstrated risks.
