The Wall Street Journal-20080116-Milk- Meat From Clones Get Clearance From FDA
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Milk, Meat From Clones Get Clearance From FDA
WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration, in a long-awaited report, said milk and meat from cloned animals and their offspring are safe to consume. The decision effectively opens the door for such food to be marketed and sets the stage for a battle with some lawmakers, consumers and animal-rights advocates.
The 968-page report, released yesterday after more than five years of deliberation, said food from clones of cattle, pigs and goats -- no other animals, for now -- are "as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals." The FDA isn't requiring labels that tell consumers the food comes from cloned animals or their offspring but will consider voluntary labels such as "clone free" on a case-by-case basis.
The announcement cleared the final regulatory hurdle for such products to be sold. In 2001, the FDA asked biotech firms and farmers to refrain from selling food from clones or their offspring.
The Agriculture Department, required by a 2007 law to study the agricultural and trade implications, has asked cloning companies and farmers to continue the moratorium on sales while officials work with producers and retailers to "facilitate the marketing of meat and milk from clones," said Bruce Knight, the department's undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs.
The FDA clearance likely will be a boon to the nation's three animal-cloning companies. Mark Walton, president of ViaGen Inc., the largest U.S. livestock-cloning firm, said the companies will "work out an orderly marketing transition" with the food industry and the government to sell such products.
There are about 600 cloned animals in the U.S., and at $15,000 to $20,000 for the first copy, most are used for breeding purposes. The cost could drop as demand increases, but most cloned animals still will be used to improve the herd rather than for food.
The FDA's decision poses a dilemma for the food industry, which has benefited from food technology but could be hurt by any consumer backlash. Some companies already had said they wouldn't market such products, and yesterday, Smithfield Foods Inc., with $12 billion in sales, said it isn't planning to produce meat products from cloned animals.
Some animal-welfare and consumer groups threatened to sue. Some members of Congress also were unhappy. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, (D., Conn.), who chairs the House agriculture-appropriations subcommittee, introduced a bill to require that food derived from cloned animals be labeled. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D., Md.), whose successful amendment to the Senate version of the Farm Bill would require the FDA to delay its decision while independent groups conduct further studies, said the agency "acted recklessly."
