USDA Must Strengthen New Biotechnology Regulations

August 6, 2019

 

PCC joined the Center for Food Safety (CFS)’s letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) concerning proposed regulations for the tracking, use, and import of genetically engineered (GE) organisms.

The letter urged the USDA to revise its proposed regulations to keep pace with evolving practices and genetic engineering techniques.

“Since the first GE regulations in the 1980s, there have been significant advancements in biotechnology and the USDA needs to continue to evolve to ensure all GE organisms are regulated regardless of the technique used to create them,” the letter asserts.

Signatories of the letter identify four key amendments to the proposed rules, including the need to strengthen protections around GE contamination and regulate ALL genetically modified organisms.

PCC has been a long-term advocate for strong regulation of GE organisms to protect public health, the environment, and the resilience of United States agriculture. Learn more about CFS’s recommendations to the USDA by reading the full letter.

Related reading

Rules to regulate pharmaceutical crops

To USDA, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, re: Docket # 03-031-1, proposed rules to regulate genetically engineered crops containing pharmaceutical drugs and industrial chemicals (biopharms).

Support Codex Alimentarius guidance on GE labeling

Sign-on letter to the USDA and FDA, urging support for Codex policy allowing countries to have different GE labeling policies.