Clone-Free Food Labeling May Soon be a Reality at Your Grocery Store

While meat and milk from cloned animals may not appear in supermarkets for years, "clone-free" labels may appear significantly sooner.

Companies such as Ben & Jerry's, which already notes on labels that bovine growth hormone is not used on their cows, wants their customers to know that their ice cream also comes from cows that have not been cloned.

The FDA has already given preliminary approval for meat and milk from cloned animals or their offspring. Although surveys have shown that many are uncomfortable with the idea of food from cloned livestock, such food is unlikely to have a labeling requirement.

Companies that introduce "clone-free" labels will not be allowed, by law, to imply that their product is safer.

MSNBC December 28, 2006

The Fresno Bee.com January 3, 2006

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Dr. Mercola's Comment:

Thankfully, some food manufacturers are taking some assertive actions after the recent FDA approval of cloned meats and milk and wondering how to distance themselves from this latest "breakthrough."

This will go a long way to protect you and the many others that are so skeptical and leery about it.

Some groups -- notably the FDA and the Biotechnology Industry Organization -- absurdly claim labeling isn't necessary. However, the International Dairy Foods Association estimates that if labeling is required, product sales of their members could fall by up to 15 percent when clones are introduced into the food chain.

No experts, health or otherwise, can promise you foods made from cloned animals are as safe to eat as the "real thing" -- a good reason why, for example, processed meats may be an even riskier proposition than ever before. Your best health choice: Narrow your sights to grass-fed and organic meats, whenever possible.

On Vital Votes, reader Charles from Kansas City, Missouri says:

"I believe that the required labeling of trans fats (Jan 1, 2006) is in large measure responsible for food processors to have begun to stop using them. There is a ways to go, obviously, with trans fats, but the momentum is clearly against them because of the labeling requirement. '

Food' derived from cloned animals or their offspring, as well as GMO 'food' should be labeled."

Reader Josh from Vista, California adds:

"Obviously I am for labeling, but at the same time we need to start thinking for ourselves. I have said it again and will repeat my thoughts:

"It is simple:

Eat food from mother earth that has not been denatured.
Eat only certified organic foods and grass fed meats
If is has a shelf life, don't eat it!
When reading a label, if you can't pronounce an ingredient or do not recognize it, don't eat it! Your liver won't like it!
If it is boxed or canned, don't eat it!
If is contains one of the white devils (flour, sugar, salt, past[eurized] milk), don't eat it!"