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Biotech / Medical : Monsanto Co. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Dan Spillane who wrote (2276)	7/13/1999 9:52:00 PM
From: Anthony Wong	Respond to of 2539

U.S. unveils new steps to calm fears of transgenic food 6:15 PM By Julie Vorman WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - The Clinton Administration on Tuesday unveiled a series of steps to address consumer fears about the safety of genetically modified foods, and asked seed companies to report any unexpected problems with new varieties of corn, soybeans and other crops. The safety of genetically modified (GM) crops threatens to worsen already-strained trade relations with the European Union at a time when U.S. farmers have planted half their soybean fields with plants engineered to resist pests and disease. Some European consumer groups, wary after a series of scares over tainted food, have called for a moratorium on all GM foods until more is known about their long-term effects. In the administration's strongest language to date, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman on Tuesday warned U.S. biotech and food companies to heed consumer concerns and adopt voluntary labels for genetically modified products. "What we cannot do is take consumers for granted... a sort of 'if you grow it, they will come' mentality," Glickman said. "Consumers will eventually come to see the economic, environmental and health benefits of biotechnology products, particularly if the industry reaches out and becomes more consumer accessible," he added. Within five years, virtually all U.S. agricultural exports will be genetically modified or combined with bulk commodities that have been altered, according to U.S. officials. The USDA, which promotes U.S. farm exports abroad, has long endorsed biotechnology to increase crop yields, improve quality and reduce the use of pesticides. But consumers must have confidence that U.S. regulators are protecting the public health, and "some type of informational label is likely to happen" for GM foods, Glickman said. Labels are opposed by the food industry, which contends there is no real difference between GM foods and those produced by conventional hybrids to improve traits. To help build public confidence, the USDA will seek an independent scientific review of its approval process for new GM crops, Glickman said. Details had yet to be worked out, but the review may be conducted by the National Academy of Sciences or a similar panel, aides said. The USDA will create regional centers around the country to evaluate GM foods over a long period of time and share information with farmers, consumers and researchers. "These sorts of actions are clearly called for in the sense that people need to perceive a system of good checks and balances," said Phil Pardey, a biotech expert with the non-profit International Food Policy Research Institute. Regulators will also press biotech companies to report any "unexpected or potentially adverse effects" from new GM crops, Glickman said. "From where we sit, we look forward to hearing more details and participating in the ongoing discussions that he (Glickman) mentioned," said a spokeswoman for Monsanto Co <MTC.N>, which makes GM corn, soybean and cotton seeds. The Clinton Administration's decision to spell out other general principles to guide biotech developments came as U.S. officials scramble to prepare for the next round of world trade talks due to begin in November. While Americans have generally been more complacent about biotech crops than their EU counterparts, last month a petition signed by 500,000 supporters of labels on GM foods was presented to Congress. U.S. concerns have also increased since Cornell University researchers recently found that while Bt corn was safe for humans, its pollen killed the larvae of the monarch butterfly. Some green groups criticized the administration for not going farther. "The American public wants more information about GM foods, tough regulations and labelling," said Larry Bohlen, a vice president of Friends of the Earth.