Dalli ‘would eat cloned meat’ as talks on new rules collapse
Recent surveys show that 63 per cent of EU citizens are unlikely to buy food from cloned animals while 61 per cent find animal cloning morally wrong.
EU Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner John Dalli yesterday said he would have no problem eating meat from cloned animals, after three-year talks on new regulations to control the so-called “novel foods” collapsed.
He was addressing a press conference in Brussels following a marathon negotiating session between the European Parliament and the EU Council in which no compromise could be reached.
Cloning, which uses DNA transfer to create an exact genetic copy of an animal, isn’t widespread in Europe and there are no rules that allow or ban food from the offspring of cloned livestock.
The two sides, MEPs and the council representing member states, had agreed that food deriving from cloned animals should be banned.
However, MEPs also wanted a ban on food from the offspring of cloned animals bred by conventional methods and were only prepared to drop this demand so long as such products were clearly labelled.
However, the Council only agreed to label fresh beef products, saying the Parliament’s proposals would be too costly and could create friction with trading partners like the US, Brazil and Argentina, from which the EU imports hundreds of thousands of tonnes of beef every year.
“I remain convinced that the only way to guarantee a good deal for EU consumers and food business operators is to deliver a proposal that is based on common sense and one that is both practicable and enforceable including on the issue of labelling,” Mr Dalli said yesterday.
“I will reflect on the disappointing outcome in view of assessing the next steps both with respect to the novel food regulation and the follow-up to the Commission’s report on the issue of cloning in food production.”
Asked specifically whether he would eat cloned meat, Mr Dalli said scientific assessments on cattle found “absolutely no risk to health as there is no differentiation at all between cloned animals and normally-bred animals.”
“So yes, I would eat cloned meat,” he said. The Commission will not have to go back to the drawing board. It is also expected to propose separate regulation to control the use of cloning in Europe.
Europe’s public opinion is clearly opposed to animal cloning and food production from it. Recent surveys show that 63 per cent of EU citizens are unlikely to buy food from cloned animals while 61 per cent find animal cloning morally wrong.
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Joseph Grech
Mar 31st 2011, 01:25
''Commissioner'' John Dalli was always a Media showman. His declaring that he would eat cloned meat may be the latest ''hit'' in a long list of fancy, irresponsible talk.
If he would eat cloned meat that's his decision. He is well advised however to keep the health interests of people in mind when he ''decides'' on such important issues however. People are fast losing confidence in him unfortunately.
John Dalli can hardly simply ignore the opinion of the wider European public (which is overwhelmingly opposed to animal cloning and food production from it ; he has no right to expose people's health to possible serious medical consequences....
It may be time for John Dalli to be removed from office as his stance makes it look like he's too preoccupied with the interests of ''food business operators'' while ignoring the ethical and health issues which animal cloning brings to the surface.
People have begun thinking that Dalli is treating this important issue in too frivolous a manner. Is it time for Baroso and Co. to look carefully at what he is doing?
Joseph Ellul-Grech
Mar 30th 2011, 20:14
Once again John Dalli proves that he is way out of his depth. He should resign before he causes further national embarrassment. However, this is as good as Dalli’s proposal for farmers to implant magnets in cow’s stomachs. This idea has its benefits when it comes to transportation. If the magnets are large enough and the cattle wagons are made of steel the cows will become secured by the side of the wagons ensuring that they will not get hurt during their journey to the slaughterhouse. There is also the possibility of the cattle getting stuck to each other.
Robert Callus
Mar 30th 2011, 17:28
Great, go to Monsanto's headquarters and eat the poison there. We care about our health, aside from the serious ethical and environmental issues.
Anthony Cardona
Mar 30th 2011, 17:22
If Mr Dalli's bowels are open for everything, mine are not.
Brandon Galea
Mar 30th 2011, 17:14
The latest news on meat is the in vitro meat, which is meat grown in laboratories, no need to clone entire animals
Peter Axisa
Mar 30th 2011, 16:19
Come on lads, leave the man alone. What's wrong with having a a nice bit of CLONED roast beef accompanied with a few Amflora (GMO) potatoes for your Sunday lunch???? One could even dabble with a few slices of Qormi baked fresh bread in a well prepared gravy!! Hmmm.
Joe Borg
Mar 30th 2011, 17:01
.... and wash it down with a good glass of wine.
The thing is that he has to do it before 12:00 !
Martin Cassar
Mar 30th 2011, 15:22
Greenpeace activists won over the USA, Spain and the Vatican.
http://euobserver.com/?aid=31544
Wikileaks: Spain a key ally of pro-GMO America, cables reveal
20.12.2010
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The US and Spain have collaborated closely in order to defend GMO production within the EU, while the Vatican is also quietly supportive of the controversial technology, US diplomatic cables have revealed.
The cables' release comes just days after the European Commission was handed a petition of over one million signatures calling for a GMO ban in Europe, with EU environment ministers set to discuss recent EU proposals on the subject in Brussels on Monday (20 December).
Greenpeace activists protest against GMO crops - known by some as 'Frankenfoods'
Shortly after Germany decided to ban MON810 corn cultivation in April 2009, and facing rising opposition within his own country, Spanish secretary of state and deputy minister Josep Puxeu contacted US officials to call for support,
HYPERLINK "http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2009/05/09MADRID482.html"
according to a US cable dated 19 May 2009
DVella
Mar 30th 2011, 15:16
If Commissioner Dalli would volunteer himself as a human test subject for the rest of his days, which the scientific community can monitor and make all sorts of test upon whilst he gorges himself on meat from cloned animals and GMO's then maybe people will start to take him a little more seriously!
Joe Borg
Mar 30th 2011, 13:12
In actual fact Hon. Dalli would eat ANYTHING.
He does not mind GMO, and how he does not mind Cloned meat...... what's next?
Looks like he is sharing the plate of the BIG corporations. This is what I call the Balance Sheet decision making, where only Money count$ and not what the people want, and what is good for the environment.
Will Hon. Dalli, hand of heart say that he does not have any interest in these absurd decisions that he is taking?
Come on Hon Dalli, stop playing with fire and pretending you know better than all.
Paul Smith
Mar 30th 2011, 16:55
He never stopped troughing when he was in the ministry of Finance, he is well and truly in Brussels to represent monsanto and not the Maltese and European peoples
100%
Adrian Wirth
Mar 30th 2011, 13:09
It will be long after The Commissioner's demise that the possible potential risks arising from Cloned Cattle and GMO's becomes apparant. For decades it was perfectly alright to feed cattle with food processed from the bones and offal of their own progeny, in other words 'canibalism' by proxy. Then came 'Mad Cow Disease' and science is still unable to assess if, how severe or when the consequences shall have worked through the generations of humanity. Playing god with the genetic structure of food serves only the multi-national global processors of foods. It's the same with cloning. It's time the lobbyists for the pharmaceutical and related industries were prohibited from entering the doors of the European Commission let alone influencing decision takers by other means.
D Bugeja
Mar 30th 2011, 12:47
@Anyone that eats fruits,
You know that you're probably eating cloned fruits right?
j.schembri
Mar 30th 2011, 13:29
this is true but the cloning of fruit is one that is done in a natural way not the laboratoy. also keep in mind that the cells being eaten would be the same age as the cettle they where taken from. so if your are eating veal. the cells beaing eaten would actually be older. mr dalli might want to eat a cloned animal but i see it unfit. here is an article about clone sheep dolly i hope it is enlgihtening.
http://www.animalresearch.info/en/medical/timeline/Dolly. in theory you could still eat cloned animals and have no harm done but i would still like to have the choice not to.
Neville Cassar
Mar 30th 2011, 12:11
Mr. Dalli..... you are no expert in the field.... ( pun intended )
Leave nature as it is, bio-diversity is what makes us strong.
I will not eat cloned meat and I expect that all food or cereals that are genetically modified are clearly labeled on the packaging. Not in fine print. ONE BIG LOGO stating that the product is Genetically Modified.
I am the consumer and I want to decide what I purchase and consume.
alex calamatta
Mar 30th 2011, 12:46
agree.... though there is always risk of contamination from GMO products.... if the chain is polluted with GMO defects than a label will not be of much help anyway.
K. Smith
Mar 30th 2011, 12:10
LMAO...now he thinks he's an expert in molecular biology...hehe, delusional.
The same thinking as the tobacco lobby's 'smoking is harmless' mantra, and building nuclear reactors on a fault line in an earthquake zone is a venture based on common sense.
Why can't accountants just stick to fiddling the books.
m cauchi
Mar 30th 2011, 12:02
mela veru kulhadd qet jiggennen f dal pajjiz !!
one way ticket l isbah ax qridtuna .
Jason Sultana
Mar 30th 2011, 12:02
Dear Mr.Dalli. Bil paroli kollox taghamel. Tippruvax titkellem fil vojt biex tikonvinca il poplu ghax int lewwel wiehed li ma tieklux. Ghax biz-zieda tas-sitt mija fil gimgha tixtri it tajjeb mhux cloned.
carmel tonna
Mar 30th 2011, 11:22
Mhux minn Hal Qormi dalli hux? Ma tantx ghandhom santafeteti il-qormin. Wara kollox minn jaf kemm nieklu imbarazz...se niddejqu minn cloned meat? Hallihom jeqirdu sur john dalli.
Darren Galea
Mar 30th 2011, 12:30
Din xi trid tghid bija Tonna li ghax minn Hal Qormi, x'ghandu x'jaqsam?...x'qed tahsibna li nibilghu kulma nsibu quddiemna jew?
Adrian Cachia
Mar 30th 2011, 12:33
Prosit Sur Tonna! Inti taf minn fejn harget il-Mad Cow hux:?
carmel tonna
Mar 30th 2011, 17:00
@darren galea
Tiehux ghalik Darren. Lil qormin nammirahom ghax straightforward...kif ghamel dalli kiel il-cloned meat ghax haddiehor jibza...dak li ridt nghid....posittiv dwar il-qormin u dalli.
@adrian cachia
Il-mad cow harget minn baqra li wisq probabli iggennet wara li qrat xi gazzetta jew semghet xi stazzjon tar-radju jew tv malti.
J. Borg
Mar 30th 2011, 10:28
careful dear dalli
you might end up not suckling to the hefty Commissioner's pension for many long years after your retirement......