Gm Foods Case Study

Alternatives Status quo: One alternative to solving the main problem in this case is to adhere the status quo. This means continuing regulating the genetically modified foods through The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) agencies. The main issue with this approach is the history of inadequate standards presented by these agencies. All of the three organizations take a passive approach toward regulating the genetically modified foods, and therefore have received much criticism regarding their effectiveness. Although this alternative requires minimal change, there is little control of the situation involved with this approach. Improve current agencies: Increasing regulation among the three current agencies is another alternative to improve regulation of GM foods. The United States government must ensure that all three agencies accurately fulfill their purpose. It is also imperative that the FDA, EPA, and USDA eliminate any gaps, overlaps, and inconsistencies within the regulatory system since they share the responsibility of GM foods. Communication among agencies is one area that may be strengthened in order to coordinate final regulatory decisions.
This agency (Agency X) would take on the responsibilities of the FDA, EPA, and USDA organizations regarding GM foods. Agency X would focus on the human health safety of products that result from biotechnology including foods, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, and pest control products. (Central) They would also be required to assess the safety of plants, animal feeds and animal feed ingredients, fertilizers, and veterinary biologics. (Central) Creating a central agency to specialize directly in genetically modified foods will eliminate the many holes left by the FDA, EPA, and