Mikulski: People Have the Right to Know if They're Eating Cloned Food
Press Release
Mikulski: People Have the Right to Know if They're Eating Cloned Food
Responding to indications that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may soon endorse the use of meat, milk and other food from cloned animals, Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) spoke on the Senate floor today about her two amendments to the Farm Bill (H.R. 2419) that stand up for consumers' right to know if they are purchasing it. The provisions require cloned food on the market to be labeled, and call for greater intellectual rigor and more time to review the impact of bringing cloned food into the nation's food supply.
"Consumers have a right to know where their food is coming from. I can't stop cloned foods from being approved by the FDA, but I can fight for consumer choice. I want the public to be informed so they can make choices for themselves," said Senator Mikulski. "The FDA tells us that once they have determined that cloned food is safe, they will allow it to enter the market unidentified, unlabeled and unbeknownst to us. I find this unacceptable."
Senator Mikulski fought for labeling legislation earlier this year with the Cloned Food Labeling Act (S. 414), in January 2007. The bill has not received a stand alone vote. The provision would require the FDA and the Department of Agriculture to mandate that all food that comes from cloned animals be labeled: THIS PRODUCT IS FROM A CLONED ANIMAL OR ITS PROGENY. Labeling would be required for all meat and dairy products sold in all retail supermarkets and restaurants.
Senator Mikulski's second provision would require the FDA to conduct three studies into the health effects of cloned food on consumers, the economic consequences for U.S. markets, and the foreign trade impact on exporting cloned food from the United States. It also requires a scientific peer-review of the FDA's cloning decision.
"We have been down this road before regarding the safety of products - the FDA has a credibility crisis. When something is this new, unclear and uncertain, we need to take our time. We should be able to monitor this new science and trace cloned animals for potential health effects," said Senator Mikulski. "I believe in science, in research and in a transparent process. Before we allow cloned animals into our food supply, we must know more about it. Just because something has been created in a lab doesn't mean that we should have to eat it."
Studies have shown that the American public actively opposes cloning. Gallup Polls report more than 65 percent of Americans think it is immoral to clone animals and the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology found that a similar percentage say that, despite FDA approval, they won't buy cloned milk.
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