Is Cloned Animal Food Safe? Hogwash, says Organic Valley
In Food Science Research on August 20th, 2008 | 815 views
Organic Valley, the nation’s oldest and largest cooperative of organic family farmers, strongly opposes the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s ruling that food from cloned animals and their offspring is safe.
“Organic Valley farmers work in harmony with nature; we don’t seek to alter it,” said George Siemon, chief executive officer for Organic Valley. “Organic Valley and its meat brand, Organic Prairie, will never allow the use of cloned animals on our farms and in our products. And, we assume the USDA will never change its organic standards to allow for cloned animals.
“As concerned citizens, parents and food eaters, we’re alarmed at the FDA’s assessment. It places the nation’s food supply at risk, and threatens the existence of the family farmer,” Siemon continued. “It’s wrong for the FDA to suggest that cloned animals are safe to enter the food supply. This ruling has been made with haste and has not been made with the interests of the animals, consumers, or farmers in mind.
“Rather, the FDA has rushed to judgment with a decision aimed at supporting large corporations seeking to increase their profits in food manufacturing, raise their stock value and pad their wallets – all at the cost of everyday individuals.”
“The long term effects of cloned animals on public health and our planet are simply not known. Over a generation, how will this impact our ecological system? Allergies? Nutritional balance? Antibiotic resistance?” Siemon said.
“Furthermore, we already know that cloning adversely affects animal health in areas such as birth defects, abnormal growth, and lack of genetic diversity. We are dealing with complex biological systems that can react in even more unexpected ways. The FDA should instead follow a precautionary principle, to err on the side of caution, especially in issues related to human and environmental health, as well as animal husbandry, and prohibit cloned animals and all genetically modified organisms,” Siemon added.
“We encourage individuals to contact their U.S. Representative and Senators to have their opinions be heard as well.”
Organic Valley Family of Farms: Independent and Farmer-Owned
Organic Valley is America’s largest cooperative of organic farmers and is one of the nation’s leading organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents 1,201 farmers in 32 states and one Canadian province, and achieved $334 million in 2006 sales. Focused on its founding mission of saving family farms through organic farming, Organic Valley produces more than 200 organic foods, including organic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, produce and juice, which are sold in supermarkets, natural foods stores and food cooperatives nationwide. The same farmers who produce for Organic Valley also produce a full range of delicious organic meat under the Organic Prairie Family of Farms label. For further information, call 1-888-444-MILK or visit www.organicvalley.coop, www.organicprairie.com and the cooperative’s farmer website, www.farmers.coop.Organic Valley Opposes FDA Ruling That Food From Cloned Animals is Safe
Dan
Says:August 21st, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Organic Valley,
Umm, I have a couple of questions concerning cloned animals in the food chain. If you can answer these they would go a long way towards helping me understand this topic and perhaps many others.
1) What is the purpose of introducing the cloned animals into the food chain by large producers? You stated it was to pad their wallets, how does this technology allow them to do so?
2) The FDA said it is safe, you say it is not? Why is is unsafe? Is it because it will harm me if I eat it? How? When you cook something that consists of proteins does it not denature them? It’s not like they are introducing Mad cow diseases by cloning. There are tests for that and the producers and the government monitor infectious diseases, right, so how will something infectious and cloned become so and end up on my plate? Will cloning produce infectious diseases somehow? Are you implying it will? How can this possibly happen?
3) You don’t think any genetically altered organism should be included in the food supply? Maybe you have a good point, I can see where that may cause issues possibly… if by eating it, there was some release of harmful proteins. But um, based on my biology class transferring existing DNA from one cell to another doesn’t constitute genetic engineering. Replication is not alteration. Now if the genes of that DNA were altered, I could see it. So how is Cloning altering genetics? Assuming it were in some way altering genetics, are there not vegetables and produce currently sold as Organic that over the years have been genetically altered? Is not taking cuttings from a plant and forcing it to root into another plant the same as cloning. That’s called replication. Have not crops like corn and tomatoes been genetically engineered… altered! Hybrid corn tomatoes, carrots, beets, citrus, I can go an and on. Are not all dates essential clones. Have not those produce benefited consumers? Have not those producers wallets gotten fatter from selling superior replicated genetics? How is that bad for consumers or producers? I am confused at how cloning an animal will harm consumers? Why would organic farm coops or organic brands include genetically engineered vegetables in their offering and exclude something, that while is an animal, is not genetically altered? Why the distinction between plant and animal? Do not both have cells, DNA, genetics, and proteins, fats, carbs, sugars, etc?
4) Why do you think the FDA analysis is in err? On what scientific points, and what is your proof that it is incorrect? How can I make an informed decision based on unsupported opinions. Please provide the facts that answer my questions, so the world can better understand this topic. I am a little confused about your statements and the lack of supporting facts. I have contacted my US representative and I have asked them the same questions. If you can’t answer them maybe they can. BTW I love organic food, and support organic producers and small farmers everywhere. I just need this topic cleared up to decide whether it’s an issue worthy of my concern or not. Right now I am leaning towards all of the scientific facts and conclusions where there is evidence supporting that report. The FDA didn’t throw out an opinion sheet without supporting evidence. Please, can you do the same? I would like both points of view supported.
Thanks,
Dan
Shelia
Says:August 22nd, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Interesting.
Nutrition Researchers
Says:August 23rd, 2008 at 3:03 pm
For Dan, above, it would be far better to go directly to the sources for your (very good) questions. Go to the Organic Consumer Association website, Weston A. Price website and others. Do a thorough google search.
No doubt, the large multinational corporations are constantly trying to get a corner on the market, and they are involved in many dirty dealings to achieve this goal, including stealing water rights, bullying local governments, bribing officials, overtaking organic companies and then ruining established standards, destroying family farms and disabling small farmers and their families, suing small farmers for using seeds, coveting seeds for major crops, etc. Plus they are polluting the planet at an unprecedented rate.
Maureen Jenkins
Says:October 22nd, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Eating anything cloned seems strange. I don’t like the sound of it. Why mess around with nature like that?
Stanford Graham
Says:October 22nd, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I agree with Maureen. I am a big science guy, but the buck stops when the buck is made of cardboard. Sorry for the bad pun. Genetically engineered foods contain built-in herbacides. All this junk is bound to cause health problems. The real push for GMOs and cloned foods is so that the big companies like Monsanto can have the corner on the world’s food market. It’s very enterprising for them, but for the rest of us, it’s very scary to say the least.
Lincoln B
Says:October 22nd, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Okay, so they wanna make some artificial animals. Is this bad? Not if you are in bed with the politicians, it isn’t. You can’t tell me that this whole big movement to give us more artificial shit has to do with anything other than making big food corporations even richer. If you can control the food supply, you are the king of the hill. It sucks for the rest of us who have to eat stuff without choice. Big business is very, very sick. It lacks a conscience, and if you don’t have a conscience when it comes to what you want people to put inside their bodies, then you can cause people to suffer beyond anybody’s prediction.