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2007-9-3 13:47:30 |
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Editor's note: That is the way business is run. What message would a consumer gets when he reads the label saying "this meat is from a cloned pig"? According to news reports, there is no extra value the cloned meat can give consumers. If there was a substantial benefit from a cloned meat, the meat producers would be happy to make such a claim. (The note is not from healthday.com). ----------------------------------- Don't expect food labels to let you know whether the hamburger meat you're selecting is from a cloned animal. The Associated Press reports that when the U.S. government approves consumption of food from cloned animals (and approval is expected within the next 12 months), The Food and Drug Administration isn't planning to require any special labeling. Basically, the reasoning is that if the food's safe to eat, its source doesn't need to be identified. The public comment period on the FDA's preliminary approval lasts until April 2, 2007, after which the FDA will review and assess the comments. "It's not inconceivable that a decision will be made before the end of 2007, but there are no promises at this point," said Dr. Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, when the agency issued its findings late last year. There will be at least one way that consumers will be able to make sure that they don't buy cloned products, according to the A.P. The green seal offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to foods that are produced organically will mean that the food is not cloned. Caren Wilcox, who heads the Organic Trade Association, is quoted by the wire service as saying the green USDA seal will also mean the food is not cloned. "Organic animal products will not come from cloned animals," she is quoted as saying. ----- Last Updated: Feb. 04, 2007 Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved. |
