Clone chops, anyone? Anyone?
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Clone chops, anyone? Anyone?
TEXT OF STORY
SCOTT JAGOW: Here’s an interesting breakfast question: Do you wanna know if you’re eating a cloned animal? We’ve come a long way from Dolly the sheep, and now the U.S. government says cloned livestock is safe to eat, no special labels needed. Today, the Food and Drug Administration plans to tell industry groups just that. But some people think this whole idea is just … baaaad. Dan Grech reports.
DAN GRECH: Earlier this year, FDA researchers concluded cloned meat and milk are so similar to conventional foods they shouldn’t be labeled differently.
But safety is only one part of the story when it comes to cloned food.
Susan Ruland is with the International Dairy Foods Association in Washington, D.C. She says more than half of people surveyed are uncomfortable with the idea of eating cloned food.
SUSAN RULAND: They have concerns about the social, ethical, even religious. And there’s also a visceral reaction of, where is my food coming from and the animals and how are they being treated on the farm.
The lack of labeling requirements has food retailers concerned that people may stop buying their products made from animals, but the FDA isn’t about to allow cloned food onto store shelves any time soon.
The agency is taking comments from the public and won’t make a final ruling for months.
In New York, I’m Dan Grech for Marketplace.
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