February 26, 2007

US milk company says no to milk from cloned animals

Despite a preliminary approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration to produce meat and milk from cloned animals, Dean Foods¡ªthe US' largest milk company¡ªhas already objected to milk coming from cloned cows.

Smaller companies such as Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and Organic Valley previously declared they oppose milk from clones.

Dallas-based Dean Foods is a US$10 billion company that owns Land O'Lakes and Horizon Organic, among dozens of other brands. In a statement issued February 22, the company said its own its customers and consumers don't want dairy products from cloned animals.

Milk processing companies have expressed their concern that cloning could turn people away from dairy products.

However, recent surveys show that public perception on dairy products coming from cloned animals appears mixed. A September poll by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology found that 64 percent of respondents were uncomfortable with animal cloning. On the other hand, a survey by the University of Maryland in December concluded that the same percentage would buy, or consider buying such food if the government said it was safe.

Dean Foods did not say whether it would use milk from the offspring of cloned animals. Cloning companies say the purpose of cloning is not to put many cloned livestock into the food supply but to make a genetic copy of a superior animal and pit its offspring afterward into the food supply.

The FDA already gave preliminary approval to meat and milk from cloned animals and could grant final approval by the end of the year. Federal scientists say there is virtually no difference between clones and conventional cows, pigs or goats.