I am NOT the one who's happy about Frankenfoods. Specifically, I'm not happy with genetic combinations that could not under any circumstances occur in nature…like jellyfish genes inserted into corn.

In fact, GM corn is my biggest worry because everything we eat is either corn or fed corn as it grows.

Published: January 23, 2004

he Department of Agriculture is considering sweeping changes in its regulation of genetically engineered crops intended to cover more types of plants and insects to keep up with rapidly changing technology.

The proposed changes, announced on Thursday, would toughen regulation in some cases and relax it in others. The department, which issues permits for field trials of genetically engineered crops, said it envisioned moving to a tiered system. The riskiest and most novel crops would get the most scrutiny.

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The department said it would prepare an environmental impact statement. As part of that process, public comment will be sought.

Cindy Smith, who heads biotechnology regulation at the department, said in a conference call that the proposals grew out of an interagency review of regulations sponsored by the White House last year.

The department now regulates genetically engineered crops and insects that pose a risk to other plants. Under its expanded mandate, it would also regulate genetic engineering that could threaten livestock, the environment and public health, as well as organisms intended to control pests. That could put more insects under the department's purview.

"They are trying to recast their regulatory authority to give them a sufficiently broad mandate so that anything that comes up that they want to look at they can," said L. Val Giddings, vice president for agriculture of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, a trade group.