Facts on Using Cloned Animals for Food
Destructive technology
Cloning results in the death at least 95% of all created embryos. The process of cloning drastically increases the chance of fatal disease for both the clone and the mother. Most studies of cloned animals show that there are significant genetic abnormalities in animal clones. This can pose food safety risks.
Flawed risk-assessment
The FDA found NO peer-reviewed studies examining the safety of the meat or milk from the offspring of cow clones, cloned pigs or their offspring, cloned goats or their offspring, on meat of cloned cows and only three peer-reviewed studies of milk from cloned cows.
Taking away consumer choice
The FDA lifted a voluntary ban in January 2008 which now permits meat and dairy from cloned cows, pigs and goats and their offspring to enter the human food supply. There is no labeling or tracking requirement on cloned animals.
The decision was bought
The Biotechnology Industry Organization spent over $1.9 million lobbying in the first quarter of 2008 to get the FDA to lift the voluntary ban on allowing cloned meat and dairy in the human food supply.
Global resistance
The European Union is waiting for more information before making a decision on using cloned animals for food, and does not yet see convincing arguments to justify the production of food from clones or their offspring. Japan prohibits selling cloned animal products to consumers. South Korea has already banned imported beef from the US due to fear of Mad Cow Disease. South Korea will almost certainly prohibit importing cloned meat from the US as well.
Many other countries are likely to ban using cloned animals for food, which would shut down the US international meat and dairy markets.
Public does not want it
77% of American consumers are "not comfortable" with eating cloned animal products, and 81% of American consumers believe that cloned foods should be labeled.
0% of participants in an FDA-sponsored study would feed cloned animal foods to their children.
Other organizations against using cloned animals for food
American Anti-Vivisection Society, Ben & Jerry’s, Center for Food Safety, Center for Genetics and Society, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Farm Sanctuary, Food & Water Watch, Humane Society United States, National Farmers Union, National Organic Program, PCC Natural
Markets (Seattle, WA), Union of Concerned Scientists
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