The FDA has announced (after five whole years of research) that cloned livestock are “safe to eat.”
In a brilliant statement of the obvious, the FDA also concluded that cloned animals are “virtually indistinguishable” from “conventional livestock.”
You don’t say.
Someone might want tolet the FDA in on the “little secret of cloning” – that a successfully cloned organism is a perfect genetic copy of the original. In other words …. they’re virtually indistinguishable. That – in layman’s terms – is the whole point of cloning.
But just because the FDA approves something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe(anyone remember Red Dye #3?) – though that’s not the issue I’m going to discuss today. Nor am I launching into arant about cloning. I have opinions on the subject, but I don’t want to distract from the debate by muddying the waters witha second issue.
My issue with the article – and the underlying situation – centers on a statement by Stephen Sundlof, director of the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine. Sundlof alleges that “because scientists concluded there is no difference between food from clones and food from other animals, ‘it would be unlikely that FDA would require labeling in those cases.’”
Let’s review that for a moment.
It’s ‘unlikely’ that the FDA would require labeling of cloned meat to enable consumers to distinguish between meat products from cloned animals and meat products from so-called conventional animals.
So, the government that wants toprohibit usfrom eating products containing trans-fat, torequire manufacturers to include extremely detailed nutritional information on their packaging, and to prohibit the sale of sodas and other sugary foods (even on the dessert table) in public schools sees no reason to tell us whether we’re eating “conventional” hamburgers or cloned cow patties?
I’m calling foul. Conventional, old-fashioned, hatch-my-egg-and-call-me-chicken foul.
If I have the right to know how many grams of polyunsaturated fatthey putin my peanut butter, whether mystrawberriesgrew inMexico and whether mymilkcame from cowstreated with bovine growth hormones, I should also have the ability to determine whether or not myhamburgergrew up in a test tube.
Call me picky. I’d like to know.
Ironically, the FDA probably doesn’t want to include labeling requirements for the very same reason I’d like to see them. They’re afraid people won’tbuy meat from cloned animals. They’reconcerned thatthe same people who count calories,lower carbs and reduce their fat intake will have second thoughts about eatingthose chicken breasts if they knew they came from cloned chickens.(99% fat free! 100% shared genetic material!)
ButFDA scientists think cloned animals are safe – andFDA scientists are honorable men.
I’m not passing judgment on whether or not cloned meat is tasty, safe or efficient. I’m not arguing about whether people should have the right to eat clonedturkeys on Thanksgiving, or whether the “conventional” Christmas ham should be replaced with a cloned porker.
I am, however, arguing that each person should have the right to decide whether or not to eat cloned meat(and vegetables, for that matter) and that the government that insists on full disclosure of everything else has no legitimate business suddenly developing an anti-conscience where cloned meats are concerned.
According to the AParticle, the FDA is accepting public “comments” for the next three months. I’m strongly suggesting you offer your opinion.I know I intend to offer mine.
I can’t be alone in believing we have the right to this information. The AP reports that some 64% of survey respondents indicated they were “uncomfortable” eating cloned foods. (And unlike some AP polls, I’m inclined to believe this one because it more or less matches what I hear from others when the subject comes up in conversation.) I’m willing to bet an even higher percentage – including those willing to eat cloned food – would at least want to know what they’re buying (and eating) and to have the right to choose.
I speak not to disprove what science spoke, but here I am to speak what I do know.
They loved labeling once, not without cause: what cause withholds them now to do the same?
Consistency is fled from government, for economic reason – bear with me:
My heart is in the coffin with disclosure, and I must pause till it come back to me.
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Trackposted to Pirate’s Cove, Conservative Cat, Jo’s Cafe, basil’s blog, and bRight & Early, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
