Late today, the FDA released new guidelines for genetically engineered crops still in testing that would allow them to contaminate the nation’s food supply with genetic material. The policy sets guidelines allowing companies to voluntarily seek safety review of genetically engineered traits that could escape field test plots and enter the food supply. Such review could have the effect of exempting such contaminants from being declared food adulterants under existing Federal food safety laws.

“With these guidelines, the government has admitted it cannot protect our food supply from genetic contamination,” stated Joseph Mendelson, legal director of the Center for Food Safety (CFS). “The developers of biotech crops still in the testing phase now have no incentive to contain genetic pollution from whatever compounds they are engineering into crop plants.”

Expected to be published in Federal Register just before Thanksgiving, the FDA proposal admits to seeking a solution to the increasing problem of genetic pollution -  the cross pollination of conventional crops with material from genetically engineered crops being grown on test plots. A key provision in the proposal provides for companies to voluntarily perform an abridged safety assessment of genetic material from biotech crops. This confidential, limited review would grant biotech crop manufacturers the legal cover to allow these engineered test crops to enter the American food supply prior to full government pre-market oversight and safety review. The proposed review would involve no safety tests in animals, a standard method to test for toxicity. It also excludes testing for unintended effects caused by genetic engineering, and sets no limits for the amount of contamination of food allowed. The new guidelines, thereby, make an extremely weak safety review even weaker.

The group also denounced the Federal government’s consistent refusal to engage in full environmental review of all genetically engineered field test sites before planting.

“The government is admitting that genetically engineered field test sites are polluting our food supply and environment, yet it consistently exempts these field tests from full environmental review.” added Mendelson.  “We need the agencies to prevent pollution not find new ways to make it okay.”

“We need mandatory safety testing for all genetically engineered crops coming to market and not FDA actions allowing companies to contaminate our food supply with unknown genetically engineered test products,” Mendelson continued.