WSPA urges the public to take action in the wake of the draft assessment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which moves the nation closer to the widespread sale of meat and dairy products from animal clones and their offspring.

“The FDA's statement in December 2006 that ‘Cloning poses no unique risks to animal health,' is completely misleading. Most clone embryos die before birth, and many of the few clones that are born alive suffer from serious abnormalities and premature death,” said Dr. Allan Kornberg, Executive Director of WSPA in the United States.

He also noted that many of the animals being cloned are those with particularly high productivity, such as cows with excessively large udders that produce more milk but also suffer from major leg problems and painful diseases. 

Peter Davies, Director General of WSPA, pointed out that public opinion in other countries including the European Union and Canada is equally or even more strongly opposed.  “In the event that the sale of meat and milk from animal clones is actually permitted in the United States, other countries would be likely to refuse to import these products, especially in the absence of appropriate labeling,” he said. 

“The FDA has stated that it ‘does not have authority to address the ethics of animal cloning,' but the evidence for welfare problems in animal clones is scientifically verified and huge in its scale and severity,” Dr. Kornberg said.

“WSPA urges every American who cares about animals to express their concern to the FDA, government representatives, religious and community leaders, and the media. Please speak out on behalf of the thousands of farm animals who will suffer in silence if we allow the commercialization of products from clones and their offspring to go unchallenged.”

Download full press release: WSPA challenges FDA stand on animal cloning

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