"Cows" March on Washington; Labels to Help Guide Consumers on Clone-Free Fare

One hundred protesters don’t seem like a lot, but even the media can’t pass up a good cow protest. 

Protesters dressed as cows marched on the U.S. Capitol yesterday carrying signs reading “Know Your Clones” and “Cloney Baloney” while chanting “milk cows, not clones, we want real milk in our ice cream cones.”

Late last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a risk assessment saying the meat and milk of cloned cattle, pigs, goats, and their offspring is “as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals.”

While the FDA does not plan on labeling cloned meat and milk, the Massachusetts-based Organic Trade Association has asserted that food bearing the organic label will indeed be clone-free, the Associated Press reports. Meanwhile, look for clone-free labels on some non-organic foods, such as ice cream made by Ben & Jerry's—a co-organizer of yesterday’s protest along with the Consumer Federation of American, National Farmer’s Union, and others.

This story was produced by Eye on Earth, a joint project of the Worldwatch Institute and the blue moon fund. View the complete archive of Eye on Earth stories, or contact Staff Writer Alana Herro at aherro [AT] worldwatch [DOT] org with your questions, comments, and story ideas.