With the EU having opened a public consultation in January regarding the approval of cloned foods for consumption, Europe might be one step closer to cultivating and importing these "Frankenfoods".
US Approved Cloned Foods
However, with the decision still in the balance, there could be some significant trade implications between Europe and the United States, with the US having already approved the use of cloned foods.
Many think that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will approve cloning by the end of the year, even though the European Commission commented that, "According to experts, animal cloning is on the verge of widespread commercial use and expected to spread within the global food chain before 2010." However, the differences in opinion between Europeans and Americans regarding the introduction of cloned foods is likely to cause trade blockages in the future.
Europeans still Sceptical
In Europe the public are widely sceptical regarding cloning and the genetic modification of crops, whereas crop-cloning is largely accepted as the norm in the States and although animal cloning has met with resistance over the pond, 61% of US consumers have said that they would purchase cloned meat and dairy products if they were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Which they now are!
Labelling Important
One major factor that may affect trade between the two economic blocs is the fact that Europe is likely to insist on the clear labelling of cloned foods, whereas this is not currently necessary in the United States. Also, farmers in Europe are not planning on jumping on the cloning bandwagon any time soon, and fear that in future they may lack a competitive edge against cloned imports from the States.
In order to align policies regarding the import and export of cloned foods, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) has suggested that "it would be prudent to wait until all major foreign trading partners have reviewed and approved the same cloning technology."
That sort of suggests that it's a definite, doesn't it?