After the Washington Post published a long (and I would say incomplete) thumb-sucker on whether cloned livestock could be organic, the USDA shut the door on that possibility.

The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) issued a statement on its web site today that says:

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Q. Is cloning as a livestock production practice allowed under the NOP regulations?

A. No. Cloning as a production method is incompatible with the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) and is prohibited under the NOP regulations.

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Q. May animals produced using cloning technology, or clones, be considered organic under the NOP regulations?

A. No. Animals produced using cloning technology are incompatible with OFPA and cannot be considered organic under the NOP regulations.

This, of course, still raises the possibility that cloned animals will be in the food supply in the future. If you’re concerned about that, now’s the time to write to the FDA.

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