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Subject:
From:
"Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Lactation Information and Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 25 Apr 2002 03:48:54 EDT
Content-Type:
text/plain
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Barbara,
Wow, thanks for writing the letter and sharing the response!  I wrote a
letter too and got no response.  But I did not write directly to Sandra
Schlicker, just wrote my letter in the feedback section and got the standard
form response (thank you for your interest....).

I cannot make it to Washington on May 1 to present, but I would be happy to
send the information.  Is there any LC's in the Washington, DC area who could
attend this open session and keep me posted on the situation? Many thanks to
you Barbara!

This is the letter I sent:

To Whom It May Concern:
The project of evaluating the addition of ingredients new to infant formula
is of interest to me. I am a board certified lactation consultant and many of
my clients are not just breastfeeding but also using infant formula.  Thus I
am interested in the evidence base of safety for these "new" items.

I have been doing research on patents on human milk and have run across
various patents from the infant formula industry. Many of these new
components for use in infant formula are genetically modified items.  For
instance the use of recombinant human lactoferrin is in many patents.  I have
seen the patents from Martek on DHA using genetically modified algae. There
are also patents on probiotics using genetically modified organisms taken
from the American Type Culture Collection (bifidobacterium taken from the
feces of breastfed infants).

My concern is that many of your members on the committee for this evaluation
may have vested interests in the outcome of this evaluation.  The chairman of
this committee has associations with Nestle (invited lecturer, edited books
for Nestle, received grant funding from the National Dairy and Research
Board, and received unrestricted grant support from Bristol-Myers Squibb/Mead
Johnson. Other committee members have previous associations with Unilever,
Mead Johnson and Nestle.

Also, the public meeting this April has many presenters who may have vested
interests (industries and universities) in the outcome of this evaluation.
How does one get the full picture of risks, if one is only looking at one
side?  And that side has a monetary investment in the outcome?  What will be
the synergistic effect of the various genetically modified organisms in
infant formula?
Do we have a good system in which to detect problems?  The recent formula
recall is strongly in my mind.  An infant died one year ago and the recall is
just being issued. (enterobacter sakazakii infections in neonates fed
milk-based powdered infant formulas).

I believe this issue should receive more public imput.  At the least, I think
you should have more committe members and speakers who have no vested
interest in the outcome.

Sincerely,
Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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