Monsanto's Government Ties
"Agricultural biotechnology will find a supporter occupying the White House next year, regardless of which candidate win the election in November"
- Monsanto Inhouse Newsletter, 2000
A Monsanto official told the New York Times that the corporation should not have to take responsibility for the safety of its food products. "Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food," said Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications. "Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job."
It would be nice to think the FDA can be trusted with these matters, but think again. Monsanto has succeeded in insuring that government regulatory agencies let Monsanto do as it wishes. Take a look:
In
order for the FDA to determine if Monsanto's growth hormones were
safe or not, Monsanto was required to submit a scientific report on
that topic. Margaret Miller, one of Monsanto's researchers put the
report together. Shortly before the report submission, Miller left
Monsanto and was hired by the FDA. Her first job for the FDA was to
determine whether or not to approve the report she wrote for Monsanto.
In short, Monsanto approved its own report. Assisting Miller was another
former Monsanto researcher, Susan Sechen. Deciding whether or not
rBGH-derived milk should be labeled fell under the jurisdiction of
another FDA official, Michael Taylor, who previously worked as a lawyer
for Monsanto.
Organic and Natural Product Companies
Associated with Monsanto
Brand Name(s):
Arrowhead Mills, Bearitos, Breadshop, Celestial Seasonings, Earth's
Best Baby Food, Garden of Eatin, Health Valley, Imagine Foods, Terra
Chips, Westbrae, Millina's, Mountain Sun, Shari Ann's, Walnut Acres
Owned By: Hain Food Group Principle Stockholders:
Bank of America, Entergy Nuclear, ExxonMobil, H.J. Heinz, Lockheed
Martin, Merck, Monsanto, Pfizer, Philip Morris, Walmart, Waste Mangement
Inc. Significantly Owned By: Citigroup
Brand Name(s): Cascadian Farms, Muir Glen Owned
By: Small Planet Foods Principle Stockholders: General Mills Significantly
Owned By: Alcoa, Chevron, Disney, Dupont, ExxonMobil, General Electric,
McDonalds, Monsanto, Nike, Pepsico, Pfizer, Philip Morris, Starbucks,
Target, Texas Instruments
Article From: http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.html
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