We as global consumers have the right to know what we are eating. We have the right to decide whether we want to eat these foods. We have the right to decide whether our children should eat these foods. Wherever you may live in the world, food markets sell these unlabeled and untested Frankenfoods. Now in 1997, these companies want to quickly earn back their accelerating research costs, and rush approximately 30,000 untested new genetically engineered food products to market.
Risks are literally unbounded and potentially catastrophic.
Genetically altered supplements and foods have already caused debilitating allergies, permanent cripplings, and deaths simply because consumers were unaware. Fifty-one people died and 1500 people were permanently disabled from toxic and deadly bacteria created during the production of genetically engineered tryptophan. Allergic reactions could have resulted from the aborted introduction of mutated genetically engineered soy combining DNA from brazil nuts. This example of what can go wrong did not slow them down. One can predict that more deaths and negative side effects must continue to emerge from this new and experimental technology.