"…the committee is not aware of any evidence suggesting that foods on the market today are unsafe to eat as a result of genetic modification.

"Furthermore, we found no strict distinction between the health and environmental risks posed by plants modified through modern genetic engineering techniques and those modified by conventional breeding practices."

James Maryanski, Ph.D. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Biotechnology Coordinato, May 26, 1999 Worldnet interview

"We have spent a considerable amount of time and resources examining the science of gene technology and how it would impact on the food supply and have concluded that, provided that companies take the proper steps to examine the important safety issues, these foods should be as safe as other foods on the market…In addition to those steps that breeders normally take, for products of [biotechnology], companies are doing far more extensive testing than has ever been done on commercial varieties. They are doing chemical analyses for important nutrients, for toxicants. They are examining the new substances, such as proteins that have been introduced into these foods, in terms of possible toxicity and allergenicity and taking other steps under the guidance of our scientists in the government to ensure proper adequate testing before they go to consumers."

American Medical Association Policy Position H-480.985 Biotechnology and the American Agricultural Industry

"It is the policy of the AMA to (1) endorse or implement programs that will convince the public and government officials that genetic manipulation is not inherently hazardous and that the health and economic benefits of recombinant DNA technology greatly exceed any risk posed to society; (2) where necessary, urge Congress and federal regulatory agencies to develop appropriate guidelines which will not impede the progress of agricultural biotechnology, yet will ensure that adequate safety precautions are enforced; (3) encourage and assist the state medical societies to coordinate programs which will educate physicians in recombinant DNA technology as it applies to public health, such that the physician may respond to patient query and concern; (4) encourage physicians, through the state medical societies, to be public spokespersons for those agricultural biotechnologies that will benefit public health; and (5) actively participate in the development of national programs to educate the public about the benefits of agricultural biotechnology."

Dan Glickman Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture March 13, 1999

"One of the great consumer questions of our time is: Will the world accept biotechnology? From a purely scientific perspective, it's an odd question. We already have. Biotechnology's been around almost since the beginning of time. It's cavemen saving seeds of a high-yielding plant. It's Gregor Mendel, the father of genetics, cross-pollinating his garden peas…Our best scientists have searched for risks. Without exception, the biotech products on our shelves have proven safe."

Isi Siddiqui Special Assistant for Trade to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Quoted by Reuters, July 27, 1999

"We do not believe that obligatory [biotech] labeling is necessary, because it would suggest a health risk where there is none…Mandatory labelling could mislead consumers about the safety of these products and require segregation of [biotech] and [non-biotech] foods."

Henry I. Miller, M.D. Hoover Institution Fellow; Director of the FDA's Office of Biotechnology,1989-93

"I believe I can make a good case that food labels should not have to disclose the presence of genetically altered crops.

Such labels would convey irrelevant information, imply incorrectly that the buyer needs to be warned of unspecified dangers, punish everyone in the distribution chain and actually hurt nature by forcing more pesticide use.

Except for wild berries, virtually all the fruits, vegetables and grains that we eat have been genetically improved by some technique. The Food & Drug Administration already applies extra scrutiny and requires labeling when safety-related issues are raised.

But what about the people's right to know? Some California activists now are demanding food labels to identify machine-harvested (as opposed to hand-picked) tomatoes. Where will it end?"

James Watson, Ph.D Co-discoverer of DNA structure and Nobel Laureate From the Daily Telegraph of U.K. February 25, 1999

"I have absolutely no anxiety…I am worried about a lot of things, but not about modified food."