Perhaps this is one of those things that will come to fruition only in time for the coveted late Friday news slot when few will be lending their attention, and by design, things go unnoticed. The issue is cloned food and possible dangers resulting from the consumption thereof. More specifically, the FDA is expected to approve the use of cloning for farm animals that produce dairy and meat products for consumption. But not all are in agreement with the agency.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected later this week to release a preliminary safety assessment that clears the way for marketing of meat and dairy products from cloned animals for human consumption. The assessment and the agency’s expected endorsement of cloned food comes despite widespread concern among scientists and food safety advocates over the safety of such products. The move to market cloned milk and meat also flies in the face of dairy and food industry concern and recent consumer opinion polls showing that most Americans do not want these experimental foods.
A summary of the most recent poll can be found here. Although their knowledge about cloning is limited, Americans are not comfortable with it. A full 14 page pdf poll report (The International Food Information Council) can be found here.
There have been claims of administration manipulation resulting in the agency’s anticipated decision.
“Instead of doing its job, the Bush FDA has ignored the science and fast-tracked this decision for the benefit of a few cloning companies,”said Joseph Mendelson, Legal Director for the Center for Food Safety (CFS). “This is a lose-lose situation for consumers and the dairy industry.”
I’m sure that farmer Greg Wiles would agree.
The FDA action follows the recent news that the agency has refused to investigate health problems in animal clones on a U.S. dairy farm. Greg Wiles, whose Williamsport Maryland “Futuraland 2020″dairy was the first farm in the nation to have cloned cows, told FDA that one of his two cow clones was suffering from unexplained health problems. Wiles told Food Chemical News that the clone “just stopped growing…she just looks terrible,” but says that when he reported the problems to FDA and other federal officials, he was “paddled around like a tennis ball from agency to agency.“CFS has asked the Agriculture Department to intervene in the case to stop any sale and prohibit the slaughter of clones and their progeny for food.
In December, 7 Senators led by Senator Patrick Leahy sent a letter to the FDA urging the agency to reconsider its assessment of cloned animals. The pdf letter is seen here. The agency’s report was authored by 2 FDA scientists, Larisa Rudenko and John C. Matheson. A draft report can be seen here(pdf).
A number of defects have been noted with cloned animals, including elevated hormone levels and the increased presence of antibiotics, sometimes necessary to facilitate cloned births.
But this may be a case of closing the barn door after the horse has left the structure (Or something like that.), despite the voluntary 5 year moratorium on sales of such animals.
“There’s been lots and lots of them that went into the food chain,” said Larry Coleman, who raises Limousin cattle in Charlo, Mont., and has made five clones of his prize bull, named First Down. He estimated that at least 10 of their offspring have wound up on dinner tables.
Mr.Wiles again.
Wiles says he can’t wait any longer. Facing eviction in a bitter family business dispute, he says he may be forced to violate the ban and sell his two clones for hamburger meat.
“If I don’t find a new home for these animals for them to live out their lifetime, I could be forced by a court of law to introduce them into the food chain,” Wiles says.
Please call and/or write to the FDA here and express your considerable disgust.
