L-Tryptophan is a vitamin supplement, an amino acid to be exact. It was not regulated in the past by FDA.

Today the FDA has approved the sale for limited uses but offers no protection on quality and safety. Back in 1989, L-Tryptophan was not regulated, and a company in Japan tried a new way of increasing production of the amino acid using a bacterium. No quality tests were used, and what was thought to be a helpful product turned out not to be what the sellers thought it was.

It’s a case of mislabeled goods. Starlink corn was pulled from the market even though further tests proved it was safe. However, its clone, Bt corn, is used in food for humans. Chemical molecules are molecules, and it doesn’t matter how you built them – they are all the same. Dextrose is dextrose whether a plant made it, or I whipped it up in a lab. The term “Frankenfood” is nothing more than a political scare tactic to keep people uneducated.

My advice: Research before you write an opinion letter.

Dennis Casto

Durango