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Cloneburgers Won't Come With Warnings
Organic is a rapidly growing segment of the nation's food market. Organic sales have grown by up to 20 percent annually; overall growth in food sales is around 3 percent.
Some in Congress want to require labels on food from clones. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., has introduced legislation to require this note on packages: "This product is from a cloned animal or its progeny."
  George Siemon, the chief executive officer of the Organic Valley cooperative is seen in La Farge, Wis. in this Aug. 19, 2004 file photo. (AP Photo/Tara Walters, File) (Tara Walters - AP) |
Mikulski and other critics disagree with FDA, which has said labels probably are unneeded because clones and their food are as safe as conventional versions.
"The FDA has gone astray, insisting that anytime they say a food is safe, consumers are obligated to eat it," said Carol Tucker Foreman of Consumer Federation of America.
The dairy industry says the bill would hurt their business.
"A huge burden would be on every single milk, cheese and ice cream company in this country, large and small, to provide 100 percent traceability and segregation and labeling of their milk," said Susan Ruland, spokeswoman for the International Dairy Foods Association.
"This is for a kind of milk that isn't even out there yet and that we're not even sure anyone is going to produce," Ruland said.
According to biotech companies, it may be difficult to promise that food is clone-free.
The purpose of cloning is not to put lots of cloned livestock into the food supply. The purpose is to make a genetic copy of a superior animal and put its offspring into the food supply.
Scientists have found no difference in clones or their offspring, and they have detected no difference in the animals' meat or milk. That could make it tough to keep offspring, and their progeny, out of production.
"You can't distinguish these animals from other animals," Glenn said. "It's almost mind-boggling, when you start talking about the granddaughters of granddaughters of granddaughters."
For organic, some question whether clones or their offspring really go against the rules.
