Genetic engineering can also offer health benefits beyond nutrition, as techniques have been developed that can be used to remove specific allergenic proteins from food products or to delay spoilage. In fact, information available indicates that biotech products currently on the market are as safe as conventional foodstuffs - both for human health and for the environment. U.S. regulatory authorities are constantly evaluating their procedures for ensuring the safety of biotech products. If there were scientific evidence that biotech food posed a threat to human health, such foods would not be on the market in the United States. Blocking trade in safe agricultural biotech products reduces consumer choice, forces consumers to pay higher prices for basic products, and discourages research on future beneficial products.
Sound science remains the best foundation for food safety and environmental decisions.
Legitimate concerns about possible environmental impacts must not be ignored. The United States is committed to an open dialogue, backed by science, with all interested parties in the biotechnology debate. At the same time, the public should not be denied the right to choose new products because of misinformation that has raised unfounded fears. Accurate information regarding the safety of biotech products should be publicly available. Transparency is central to increasing the level of public trust in sound science.