03 May 2000

Text: State Dept.'s Larson on Biotechnology Initiative

Audio File

Washington -- U.S. Under Secretary of State Alan Larson says new initiatives announced by the Clinton administration to expand the regulatory oversight of food produced through biotechnology are aimed at reinforcing public confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply.

Larson, who is under secretary for economic, business and agricultural affairs, said May 3 at a Foreign Press Center briefing in Washington that "we will continue to make active use of sound science to address the environmental aspects of modern agriculture here in the United States."

Larson said the initiative calls for voluntary labeling of non-bioengineered foods and mandatory consultations by U.S. regulators with the food industry before any new genetically modified food is placed on the market.

These measures allow the U.S. government to strengthen food safety measures and address any uncertainties some may have regarding the environmental impact of biotech agricultural practices.

"The U.S. National Academy of Sciences recently published a report confirming the safety of the 30,000 food products containing biotech inputs currently on the market," Larson said.

Following is the text of Larson's remarks as prepared for delivery:

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U.S. Department of State
Washington, D.C.

May 3, 2000

Enhancement of U.S. Biotechnology Regulations

Remarks at the Foreign Press Center by Alan Larson, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs, May 3, 2000

The White House announced today several new measures that build upon our existing strong U.S. regulatory system for agricultural biotechnology. These measures are primarily aimed at reinforcing public confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply and to reassure the public that we will continue to make active use of sound science to address the environmental aspects of modern agriculture here in the United States.

Our Food and Drug Administration will be working with industry and consumer groups to develop guidelines for voluntary labeling of non-biotech foods -- similar to those in place for kosher, halal and organic foods -- to ensure that any labels are truthful and not misleading. This will help ensure that consumers are well informed.

The FDA will be requiring mandatory consultations with industry before any new biotechnology food is placed on the market. This should provide additional assurance to the public. The current system of voluntary notification had already established a pattern of extensive consultations by, industry with the FDA on new biotech products.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will be making a formal request for additional input from scientists, farm, food industry and consumer stakeholders to assess the need for a quality assurance program for the production, handling and processing of non-biotech crops. This aims at facilitating the market for such products as it evolves. The U.S. Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will also initiate a review of existing environmental regulations pertaining to agricultural biotechnology, consistent with recommendation made recently by the National Academy of Sciences.

The new measures by U.S. government agencies reflect strong scientific evidence that biotech foods are as safe as other foods, and strengthen our ability to ensure that safety into the future. It also allows us to address any uncertainties regarding the environmental impacts of biotech, including compared to existing, conventional agriculture practices. The U.S. National Academy of Sciences recently published a report confirming the safety of the 30,000 food products containing biotech inputs currently on the market.

We believe that agricultural biotechnology holds enormous promise for consumers worldwide, including potential health and nutrition benefits as well as cost and quality. It may ultimately help us reduce the environmental impacts of producing global food supplies. We are committed to seeing the technology developed safely, in a manner that generates shared benefits worldwide. We are aware that it may play an important role in enhancing food security, especially in developing countries. The United States is working closely with the international community on these issues and will continue to do so.

We expect the measures announced today to provide greater certainty to American farmers and food retailers to enable them to respond to market demands, as well as to expand consumer understanding of the safety of biotechnology products and the integrity of the U.S. regulatory systems.

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