Following an FDA conclusion that products from cloned animals are safe to consume, the Organic Trade Association announed that such products will not be able to be sold as organic in the United States

FM Staff

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has reiterated that meat, milk and other products produced from cloned animals will not be able to be sold as organic in the United States. OTA issued the reassurance after the FDA announced its conclusion that foods from cloned animals and their offspring are as safe as those produced from traditionally bred animals. The national organic standards enforced by the USDA require that organisms be developed and grown by systems that must be compatible with natural conditions and processes. Cloning as a production method is incompatible with the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) and is prohibited under the National Organic Program regulations, so animals produced using cloning technology are incompatible with national organic standards and cannot be considered organic, OTA said in its statement. "The Organic Trade Association only supports the use of traditional processes for breeding and raising animals in the organic system," says OTA Executive Director Caren Wilcox. "The organic business community has never supported cloning animals as a part of the organic process. Organic animal products will not come from cloned animals. In the future, consumers who seek to avoid cloned meat, dairy or other animal products should look for the organic label on products."