FDA close to approving clones
By the end of this year, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to announce that the marketing of milk and meat from cloned animals and their offspring for public consumption may begin, based on new data demonstrating that these products pose no risks different from any other milk or meat. Some predict a lucrative market for the cloned products, saying they will offer a higher level of consistency and quality. Transgenic animals, to which specific genes are added, will be regulated very differently, the agency says; they will be approached in the same way pharmaceuticals are. No transgenic animals are on the market currently.
FDA says it has "studies that show that the meat and milk from cattle clones and their offspring are as safe as that from conventionally bred animals." But consumer groups say they will fight to ensure food from cloned animals is labeled as such. The Washington-based Center for Food Safety says food labels should disclose if food products are from a cloned animal. The National Milk Producers Federation, however, says distinctions between products should not be made where none exist. — Greg Henderson, Drovers editor
By the end of this year, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to announce that the marketing of milk and meat from cloned animals and their offspring for public consumption may begin, based on new data demonstrating that these products pose no risks different from any other milk or meat. Some predict a lucrative market for the cloned products, saying they will offer a higher level of consistency and quality. Transgenic animals, to which specific genes are added, will be regulated very differently, the agency says; they will be approached in the same way pharmaceuticals are. No transgenic animals are on the market currently.
FDA says it has "studies that show that the meat and milk from cattle clones and their offspring are as safe as that from conventionally bred animals." But consumer groups say they will fight to ensure food from cloned animals is labeled as such. The Washington-based Center for Food Safety says food labels should disclose if food products are from a cloned animal. The National Milk Producers Federation, however, says distinctions between products should not be made where none exist. — Greg Henderson, Drovers editor