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With the advent of cloned livestock, yet another biotech science experiment may soon find its way to the American dinner table. In October 2003, the FDA essentially told the public that the meat, milk, and eggs from cloned livestock are safe for human consumption. Yet, the agency based its conclusion on a single study, ignoring numerous other studies that document serious health problems commonly suffered by cloned animals.
The FDA's veterinary medicine advisory panel rebuked the agency for its position, declaring that not enough research has been done to determine whether food derived from cloned animals is safe. In fact, livestock cloning raises numerous health and ethical concerns. Over 99 percent of cloning attempts fail, and cloned animals that are born have more health problems and higher mortality rates than sexually reproduced animals.
Given that researchers do not understand many of the health problems that arise throughout the lifecycles of cloned animals, the FDA acted irresponsibly in assuming that the foods produced from these animals are safe for humans to eat. According to Ian Wilmut, the leader of the team of scientists that cloned the sheep Dolly, determining the health impacts of food derived from clones must be based on the animals' complete health profiles. Such studies have not been done.
CFS seeks to ensure that foods derived from cloned livestock do not make their way onto our dining room tables. CFS has called on the FDA to institute an immediate and mandatory moratorium on the marketing of food products derived from cloned animals or their offspring. The FDA must acknowledge that its initial pronouncement on the safety of food from cloned animals was premature. Future assessments must address a broad range of human health and animal welfare issues.
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URGENT ACTIONS |
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