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Animal Cloning Benefits: All Sizzle and No Steak for Consumers?
Critical Issue Report Says Superior Products Already Exist Naturally
| Source: The Organic Center
FOSTER, RI -- (MARKET WIRE) -- January 30, 2007 -- The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) draft
risk assessment that meat and milk from cloned animals are safe for human
and animal consumption does not give consumers the big picture when it
comes to the impact of animal cloning, according to a critical issue report
released by The Organic Center.
The 22-page report, "Is the FDA's Cloning Proposal Ready for Prime Time?,"
delves deeper into the technology background, safety and food quality
issues, animal health effects, labeling and economic impact of what the FDA
has proposed. One of the arguments made in the FDA assessment is that
clones are "virtually indistinguishable" from normal progeny and therefore
may enter the food supply.
"Virtually indistinguishable is not a scientific standard," says Jim
Riddle, organic outreach coordinator at the University of Minnesota, and
author of The Organic Center critical issue report on animal cloning. "The
FDA report shows that subtle changes occur in the 4 to 7 percent of animals
that survive the cloning process and appear to be similar to other animals.
The public is not likely to accept similarity of appearance as the decisive
food safety hurdle standing between animal clones and the American food
supply."
The Center's critical issue report highlights the other side of the animal
cloning debate that many consumers will not hear from FDA or biotech
officials.
For example, FDA officials say labeling cloned meat and milk is not
necessary, only requiring products to be labeled if they might be
misleading, or for nutritional purposes. Riddle outlines six reasons why
labeling is essential. Sustaining consumer confidence in the food system is
just one reason but there are more, including preventing entry of cloned
animals or their progeny and products into the organic food system.
"Animal cloning is not allowed for organic production under the USDA
National Organic Program for several reasons," says Riddle, former chair of
the USDA National Organic Standards Board. "Since cloning relies on cell
fusion, it is explicitly prohibited in organic production. Clearly, cloning
is not possible under natural conditions."
Riddle says the presence of unregulated and unlabeled meat and milk from
cloned animals will help further differentiate organic products from
unsegregated conventional livestock products and will almost certainly
increase demand for organic meat and animal products.
"There is no shortage of meat or milk in the United States," says Riddle.
"And there is no shortage of highly productive breeds and lines of
livestock. Cloning offers no advantages for consumers. Research shows that
milk and meat from pastured animals is consistently higher in nutrients, so
if consumers want superior products, they should buy meat and milk from
organic and grass-fed animals."
Currently, no other country has approved food from cloned animals. The
Center predicts that the introduction of cloning has the potential to
seriously diminish consumer confidence in U.S. animal products, will likely
depress domestic and export markets for conventional livestock products,
and will accelerate the domestic and export sales of organic livestock
products.
With the April 2 deadline looming, Americans still have an opportunity to
voice their concerns regarding the FDA's recommendation for incorporating
cloned animals into the national food supply. Go to
http://www.organic-center.org for the FDA comments link and to download a
free copy of The Organic Center critical issue report on animal cloning.