STATEMENT OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOOD ALERT

Taco Shell Recall

Consumer, health and environmental groups call on FDA to respond with mandatory safety testing and labeling of genetically engineered foods.

Genetically Engineered Food Alert applauds the efforts of the Kraft Company in voluntarily recalling Taco Bell brand Original taco shells from grocery stores. This afternoon, Kraft Company announced that they are immediately withdrawing all affected products and are advising consumers NOT to eat them, instead to return the product to the stores where they were purchased. Genetically Engineered Food Alert feels that the Kraft Company has acted responsibly in this instance to protect consumers from the possible health effects related to Starlink genetically engineered corn. Starlink corn has not been approved for use in food meant for direct human consumption.

Genetically Engineered Food Alert agrees with the Kraft Company's call on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen their regulation of genetically engineered foods. This is one example of how the FDA has failed to provide proper measures to protect consumers from the potential hazards of genetically engineered foods.

Genetically Engineered Food Alert has called on the FDA in a legal petition for the pre-market safety testing of all genetically engineered food products. The coalition has also called for labeling of all genetically engineered foods to ensure consumers' right to know.

In today's statement, Kraft has called for a mandatory review of all plant biotechnology advances by the appropriate government agencies before those advances enter the market. They have also called on the Food and Drug Administration to strengthen the requirements for environmental stewardship of plant biotechnology to enhance the integrity of the food supply chain from farm to finished product.

For more information on GEFood Alert see: www.gefoodalert.org