Washington, DC
March 6, 2003

The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced a guidance document covering the permitting process for companies to plant and produce plant-made pharmaceuticals (PMPs). The planting and production of PMPs is regulated by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); this guidance document, which will be published in the Federal Register on March 10, is specifically directed towards permits that will cover this year's planting of PMPs.

Responding to the release of this guidance document, Dr. Rhona Applebaum, Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer for the National Food Processors Association (NFPA), made the following comments.

"It is highly appropriate that USDA take action to strengthen their current standards and oversight of the planting and production of PMPs. This guidance document includes measures to make confinement requirements more rigorous and to strengthen the Agency's field inspections and other compliance oversight. Though these steps are in the right direction, far more is needed to ensure against any contamination of food and feed supplies from PMPs or industrial chemicals.

"The food industry is clearly an affected stakeholder in this issue. Consequently, because we live under a zero tolerance for PMPs in our food supply, it is absolutely necessary that we have nothing less than 100% protection from these compounds. Zero-percent contamination must be the standard.

"It is imperative for government to establish a regulatory structure for PMPs that includes demonstrated, effective controls and procedures to meet this zero-percent contamination standard. It is NFPA's position that, without proven and effective controls to ensure against any such contamination, applications for this technology should be applied only in non-food and feed crops that are segregated from the food supply.

"NFPA looks forward to providing input to USDA on this guidance, as well as on rules and procedures necessary to strengthen PMP regulations."

NFPA is the voice of the food processing industry on scientific and public policy issues involving food safety, food security, nutrition, technical and regulatory matters and consumer affairs.