Issues and Education

Cloned Livestock Products to Join the Food Supply-Incognito

National Cooperative Grocers Association

Because it views dairy and beef from cloned livestock as "virtually indistinguishable" from that of conventional livestock, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated in December that milk and meat from cattle, swine, and goat clones are as safe to eat as those from normal livestock. Unless persuaded otherwise, it's likely that they will be approving the sale of dairy and meat from cloned animals in our supermarkets sometime this year. And-because they see no differences between foods from cloned animals and other foods-labeling of these products will not be required.

Opponents-scientists, food co-ops members, food safety experts, animal welfare advocates-beg to differ, both with the premise that there's nothing to worry about and the decision to forgo labeling.

Cloned livestock isn't brand new. In fact, cloned cows have been in American dairies since 2001. But dairy farmers and cloning companies agreed to voluntarily keep these products out of the food supply until the FDA could clear the way. And that's the step they're taking now.

The FDA is accepting public comment on the approval of cloned foods until April 2, 2007, so now's the time to speak up. Here's what you might want to know.

About Cloning
A clone is an exact genetic replica of another organism; basically, cloning is a way of producing a copy of an animal. The cloning industry promotes cloning livestock as a way of increasing production; an animal with valuable characteristics-like a cow with high milk production or a pig that fattens fast-is a prime candidate for cloning.

The first successful (and famous) animal clone was a sheep named Dolly, produced by scientists in 1996. The ensuing push for the approval of products from cloned animals has been led by the cloning industry. Opponents argue that the products hold no benefit for consumers, that they have not been proven safe, are inhumanely produced, and, if approved for sale, should be labeled so that consumers can make the ultimate decision regarding the purchase of them.

Food Safety
Adequate testing has not been conducted to determine whether or not there are health risks for the consumers of these products. Large-scale, comprehensive food-safety studies, including complete health profiles on cloned animals throughout their life cycle, need to be conducted. And the burden of proof of safety should not be born by the public, but by the cloning industry.

Many scientists are convinced that clones (even those that appear healthy) can carry genetic abnormalities that may jeopardize the safety of milk or meat they produce. The Center for Food Safety states that "Animal cloning is a new technology with potentially severe risks for food safety." Ian Wilmut, the lead scientist in the creation of Dolly, has stated that even little imbalances in the hormone, protein, or fat levels of a clone could endanger the safety of its milk or meat. According to the National Academy of Sciences, there is not enough data to show whether the hidden defects in clones pose food safety risks.

Animal cloning is a notoriously unsuccessful process, with a failure rate of over 90 percent. Of the successes, 40 percent of cloned animals suffer from health problems, many of which lead to early death. Even clones that appear healthy are often physiologically different than normal animals.

In addition, the impregnated hosts in the cloning process are often given large amounts of hormones, and clones are given huge doses of antibiotics to head off early health problems. As a result, massive levels of veterinary medicines (hormones and antibiotics) will make their way into the human food supply as products from cloned sources appear on grocery shelves.

Inhumane treatment of animals and other ethical considerations
Animals who serve as hosts for cloning as well as cloned animals suffer myriad difficulties. Hosts suffer pregnancy complications, late-term spontaneous abortions, grossly oversized calves, and early prenatal deaths. The animals that do make it often have severe deformities and other problems, like intestinal blockages, enlarged tongues, immune deficiencies, diabetes, heart, lung, and kidney damage, and brain abnormalities. Early, unexpected deaths are common. (Dolly was euthanized, with arthritis and lung disease, at age 6; most in her breed live to age 11 or 12.) Because it results in animal suffering and promotes the perspective that animals are disposable, manufacturing commodities, The Humane Society of the United States has condemned cloning.

The Center for Food Safety has suggested that the Department of Health and Human Services establish a federal review committee to advise the FDA on ethical issues surrounding the cloning of livestock.

What you can do

• Many co-ops have refused to sell products from cloned animals. Support your co-op in this decision.
• Spread the word: Write a letter to your local media stating your concerns, teach your family about the issue, and talk with friends.
• Sign the Petition to Label Cloned Meat & Dairy Products.
• Support state and local legislation calling for labeling of products from cloned livestock. (California and Massachusetts are considering bills requiring labeling, for example.)
• Contact the FDA and state your concerns, whether they center on health or ethical issues. Send your letter (re: Docket # 2003N-0573) to: Division of Dockets Management, Food and Drug Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
• You can also send your opinion online at: http://ga3.org/campaign/Cloning.
• Contact your representative and senator and state your support of the Cloned Food Labeling Act. You can do this online, too, at: http://ga3.org/campaign/Cloning_Label/. You won't be alone. According to several reputable polls, the American people are not comfortable with food from cloned animals. In fact, according to these polls, over half of Americans would be unlikely to purchase food from cloned animals, even if the FDA deemed them safe. At the very least, these products need to be labeled so that consumers will have a choice not to purchase them if they so choose.