The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) has voted that the progeny of cloned animals cannot be labeled organic.
A USDA spokesperson said they had tabled their cloning recommendation for now.
The NOSB voted 12-0, with one abstention and two members absent, to prohibit progeny of clones in organic production.
Just last month, the NOSB ruled out cloning as a livestock production practice under federal organic regulations, but said progeny of animals derived from clones could be considered organic.
Regulators recognize that cloning as a production method and animal clones are incompatible with the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) and are prohibited under the NOP regulations.
The Food and Drug Administration is accepting public comment on its approval in a draft risk assessment of cloning as a production technique in agriculture. The FDA assessment said that clones are “virtually indistinguishable” from normal progeny and could enter the food supply.
The outcry from the organic dairy and foods community has been deafening. Companies lined up to denounce clones in organic production – from Straus Organic Creamery to Dean Foods.
Mounting evidence against organic cloning was highlighted by a legal analysis laying out why the existing statute and rules prohibit cloned animals and their progeny.
Loading...