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Cloning

IN JANUARY, THE F-D-A ANNOUNCED THAT FOOD FROM CLONED ANIMALS IS SAFE TO EAT.  FIND OUT WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE CONSUMER ON TODAY’S ENVIRONMINUTE.

EVEN AFTER THE F-D-A ANNOUNCEMENT, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ASKED FOR A VOLUNTARY MORATORIUM ON THE SALE OF MEAT AND MILK FROM CLONES.  BRUCE KNIGHT, UNDER-SECRETARY FOR MARKETING AND REGULATORY PROGRAMS AT THE U-S-D-A, SAYS THIS IS SO HIS AGENCY HAS TIME TO WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO EASE THE TRANSITION. 

BUT DOWN THE ROAD, HE SAYS YOU’RE STILL MORE LIKELY TO EAT FOOD FROM A CLONE’S OFFSPRING THAN THE CLONE ITSELF.

KNIGHT: ANIMAL CLONES ARE GOING TO PRIMARILY BE USED FOR BREEDING PURPOSES.

KNIGHT SAYS FOOD FROM CLONES AND CLONED ANCESTORS WILL NOT BE LABELED AS SUCH BECAUSE IT’S CONSIDERED SAFE.  BUT CONSUMERS WHO WISH TO AVOID IT CAN LOOK FOR THE U-S-D-A ORGANIC LABEL, AS CLONES ARE NOT PART OF THIS PROGRAM.

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