FDA to extend comment period on cloning

By Lorraine Heller

ga3.org/campaign/Cloning

4/2/2007- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to extend
its comment period on a proposal to allow meat and milk products from
cloned animals into the American food supply.

The regulatory agency said the public will have an extra thirty days to
review and comment on its draft risk assessment of animal cloning, which
was due to close on April 3, 2007.

FDA said it decided to grant the extra month as a result of receiving a
number of requests for an extension to the comment period, which certain
groups felt was not long enough for a thorough consideration of the
extensive information provided by the agency.

The regulatory body told FoodNavigator-USA.com it felt it was
"appropriate" to allow the extra time for comments to come in, adding
that the new deadline of May 3 2007 should allow sufficient time for the
public to review the risk assessment, which was released in January.

Earlier this month, a number of trade and consumer groups sent a letter
to the FDA calling for an extension to the comment period.

"As FDA is not facing any statutory requirement to proceed within a
specific timetable, we respectfully request that FDA extend the comment
period - commensurate with the scope and complexity of the documents
being commented on and the time it took FDA to prepare them - to allow
adequate time to analyze the information necessary to prepare a thorough
response to the request for comments and to participate fully in the
rulemaking process," said the organizations in their letter to the
Commissioner of the FDA.

The letter, which said it is "in the public interest of the agency to
take the time needed to 'get it right'", was sent by groups including
the Center for Food Safety, the American Bakers Association, the
American Frozen Food Institute, the Food Marketing Institute, GMA/FPA,
the International Dairy Foods Association, the National Milk Producers
Federation, the National Restaurant Association and the Snack Food
Association.

The concerns of these groups are part of a general backlash in response
to FDA's controversial decision to approve cloning for food production,
announced earlier this year.

Because the introduction of cloned food into the US food supply is such
groundbreaking action, the industry has added its voice to the usual and
expected clamor from public health groups.

A number of food firms have publicly made a stance against cloned
products, including leading US dairy Dean Foods. Additionally, in a
January 23 letter to its co-op members, California's largest dairy
processor, California Dairies, stated that it "will not accept milk from
cloned cows, effective immediately." Another California dairy, Clover
Stornetta announced its ban on milk from clones early in January.

According to a statement published by Dean Foods, its decision to reject
cloned products is based on the desire and expectations of its customers.

"We see no consumer benefit from this technology," said the firm.

"If the FDA does approve the sale of milk from cloned cows, we will work
with our dairy farmers to implement protocols to ensure that the milk
they supply Dean Foods does not comes from cloned cows."


Last Chance To Tell FDA To Ban Cloned Animals in Food!

We know you've heard about animal cloning, but if you haven't yet sent your
letter telling FDA to ban animal clones in food production, please do so today.
The comment period closes 2 April!

FDA stands poised to approve cloned animals and their products in food,
unless an outpouring of public opposition convinces the Agency to do otherwise.
Scientists say that cloned animals may be inherently unhealthy and that even
slight imbalances in a clone’s hormone, protein, or fat levels can compromise
the safety of its milk or meat. The Agency's impending action ignores the
troubling animal cruelty and ethical concerns that the cloning process brings,
and flies in the face of widespread scientific concern about the risks of food from
animal clones. Equally as troubling is FDA's declaration that it will not
require labeling of dairy or meat products from clones, so consumers will have
no way to avoid these experimental foods.

Please take a moment to send your comments Now! It takes only a minute and
your comments could change FDA's decision to approve this cruel and risky
technology! Take action at: _ga3.org/campaign/Cloning_
(ga3.org/campaign/Cloning)