U. S. Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville MD 20857-0001
Dear Sir or Madam:
I just learned that you plan to allow meat from cloned animals to be sold as food. You are reportedly implementing a 90 day moratorium first to allow for public comment; I would like to take this opportunity to offer my comment: No!
Meat and dairy from cloned animals reportedly would not have to be labeled as such. I do not purchase or consume meat, but I would go out of my way, when buying dairy products, to look for ones labeled as not coming from clones, as non-cloning companies would very likely take advantage of this as a selling point.
I think cloning is just creepy. I believe that multiple negative consequences could result from allowing meat from cloned animals onto U.S. dinner tables. Cloning would become a more widely accepted practice, and new experiments would likely be met with less skepticism, thus perpetuating an attitude that animals are simply playthings for humans. This could also lead to an easier acceptance by the public of human cloning.
My impression of cloning is that it is a rather expensive endeavor, and I am not sure how it can really be an attractive alternative to traditional breeding. I feel that food technology industries should be focusing on how to produce safe food cheaply and sustainably, and figuring out how to get basic whole foods to people who currently have limited access to it.
Truly,
Liz Mann
