Webcast on FDA risk assessment on cloned animals and their offspring

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Animal cloning is an assisted reproductive technology that helps farmers and ranchers raise healthier farm animals. Cloned livestock can consistently produce healthier animals, healthier foods, and a healthier environment. This technology can also help farmers meet consumer demand for high quality and safe food that is available in a reliable and consistent manner. Cloned animals are an exact genetic copy of an existing animal – essentially an identical twin. Cloning does not manipulate the animal's genetic make-up or change an animal's DNA. Their offspring would be considered "conventional" animals. Cloned animals will primarily be used as breeding stock in order to improve the health and quality of animals used for food production.

On Dec. 28, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a draft risk assessment that concludes that meat and milk products from cloned animals and their offspring are safe for human consumption, and no different from foods produced through other breeding methods. This finding is consistent with conclusions made by the National Academies of Science and decades of research that have all shown that cloned animals are as healthy as conventional animals, and those conceived through other forms of assisted reproductive technology.

Today, there are no food products from cloned animals and their offspring in the marketplace. In 2001, at the request of FDA, the biotech industry agreed to abide by a voluntary moratorium on placing food products from animal clones and their offspring in the market. The FDA's draft risk assessment will not lift the voluntary moratorium on food products from cloned animals and their offspring. Publication of the draft risk assessment will be followed by a public comment period and then the eventual publication of a final risk assessment by FDA. Only at that time will products be allowed to move to the marketplace. It will most likely take at least two to three years before meat products from the offspring of cloned animals enters the marketplace. Additionally, most consumers will likely never eat a cloned animal; rather, meat and milk products in the marketplace will come from the offspring of cloned animals.

Watch the web cast. (WMV 15 min)

When: Thursday, December 28 at 3:00 p.m. EST

Who: Barb Glenn, Managing Director, Animal Biotechnology, Biotechnology Industry Organization

Questions: Please submit questions for the participants at biolive@bio.org.

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