FDA Opens "Pandora's Box" by Approving Food from Clones for Sale

FDA requires no tracking system for clones or labeling of products produced from clones or their offspring.

centerforfood safety.org

(January 15, 2008) Washington, DC - Today, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) condemned the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) irresponsible determination that milk and meat from cloned animals are safe for sale to the public. In addition, the FDA is requiring no tracking system for clones or labeling of products produced from clones or their offspring. This action comes at a time when the U.S. Senate has voted twice to delay FDA's decision on cloned animals until additional safety and economic studies can be completed by the National Academy of Sciences and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

"The FDA's bullheaded action today disregards the will of the public and the Senate - and opens a literal Pandora's Box," said Andrew Kimbrell, CFS Executive Director. "FDA based their decision on an incomplete and flawed review that relies on studies supplied by cloning companies that want to force cloning technology on American consumers. FDA's action has placed the interests of a handful of biotech firms above those of the public they are charged with protecting."

With FDA's release of their controversial risk assessment today, CFS joins dozens of other food industry, consumer, and animal welfare groups, as well as federal lawmakers in calling for swift action on the part of Congress to pass the 2007 Farm Bill containing provisions delaying FDA's release of clones into the food supply. The Farm Bill currently contains an amendment, advanced by Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD.) and co-sponsored by Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), requiring a rigorous and careful review of the human health and economic impacts of allowing cloned food into America's food supply. The Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill by a vote of 79 to 14.

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Don't worry, bee happy

Well, here it is from the horses mouth folks. BIO bragging about their lobbying efforts during the Bu$h administration. All we can hope for is that the horse wasn't genetically altered with Bill Orielly's genes, because, needless to mention, that would be like mr. Ed's worst night mare.

Government Relations

"Most biotech observers look to Wall Street for insights on the industry's prospects, but in fact, what happens in Washington and the statehouses has a profound impact on the bottom line. In 2002, BIO's Government Relations Department won a number of legislative victories, with the signing of laws to limit liability, improve biodefense and promote biotech research. Equally important,BIO's lobbying team beat back measures that would have decimated intellectual property protection and permitted reimportation of potentially dangerous counterfeit drugs. BIO also staked out positions on issues that remain in play as of early 2003, including proposals to expand Medicare drug coverage and change stock option accounting."