FDA backs sale of cloned food

[industrian]

BBC NEWS | Americas | US body backs sale of cloned food

US body backs sale of cloned food

Meat and milk from cloned animals is safe for human consumption, the US food regulator said in a draft ruling.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that cloned cattle, pigs and goats produced food "as safe as the food we eat every day".

The recommendation, coming after a five-year study, is a major step towards allowing food from animals onto US supermarket shelves.

A public consultation period will take place before final approval is given.

Opponents say a majority of US consumers are against animal cloning.

The FDA study examined meat and milk products from cattle, pigs and goats, but not sheep.

It concluded that the cloned animals produced food products virtually indistinguishable from more traditional offerings.

The agency suggested that the results meant it would be unlikely to recommend placing special labels on food from cloned animals.

A final decision on labelling would not be taken until the end of the public consultation period due to begin soon, an FDA official said.

'Bad decision'

Cloned animals are exact genetic replicas of a donor animal.

A sheep, Dolly, was the first animal successfully cloned, in 1996.

It recommended no special safeguards on food produced from cloned animals.

But consumer groups were less keen on the ruling, which could see the US become the first country to allow cloned food products into the food supply.

Carol Foreman, of the Consumer Federation of America, described the ruling as potentially "a very bad decision".

"We are urging people to write to the FDA, to members of Congress, to urge them to tell the FDA to back off," she told the AFP news agency.

Another group, the International Dairy Food Association, appeared cautious. "Animal cloning is a relatively new technology, and it's important that we have a thorough, deliberative dialogue," the group said in a statement.

Previous scientific studies have come to conclusions similar to those of the FDA.

I expect this may cause a total collapse in the meat farming industry. Well, that and every other possible bad thing that might hypothetically arise from consuming cloned animal products. But it's nice to see a Scottish scientific breakthrough finally being put to practical use.

[Player-X]

I don't see why there is so much outcry about animal cloning for food, it's not like suddenly the animals won't want to reproduce the "old fashioned way".

Then again comparing the cost of cloning one animal to natural reproduction it's unlikely that cloning will ever replace conventional means for normal mass marketed foods, it could be used to make more high quality cattle but that's just about it.

[industrian]

Originally Posted by Player-X

I don't see why there is so much outcry about animal cloning for food, it's not like suddenly the animals won't want to reproduce the "old fashioned way".

From a business point of view, will there be any point in raising animals for slaughter the natural way if you can just make them en mass? Still, you will get those wacko "naturalist" food types.

Originally Posted by Player-X

Then again comparing the cost of cloning one animal to natural reproduction it's unlikely that cloning will ever replace conventional means for normal mass marketed foods, it could be used to make more high quality cattle but that's just about it.

Costs drop with demand. If McDonalds or Burger King do some R&D that tells them they could save a bit of money using cloned food, then what do you think they'll do? (Well they won't do anything in the European Union, those Frenchies like their farming subsides too much. )

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BTW: For the record, I like knowing that an animal died for the food i eat. Knowing that it was born, raised, and then executed in a slaughterhouse makes the experience worthwhile. Cloned food would take this pleasure away from me.

[Demigod]

Originally Posted by industrian

From a business point of view, will there be any point in raising animals for slaughter the natural way if you can just make them en mass? Still, you will get those wacko "naturalist" food types.

...

BTW: For the record, I like knowing that an animal died for the food i eat. Knowing that it was born, raised, and then executed in a slaughterhouse makes the experience worthwhile. Cloned food would take this pleasure away from me.

Uh, cloned animals also have to be born, raised, and killed to create food. The only thing special about a cloned animal is that it contains the exact same genetic constitution from the animal which the DNA was taken from. From a business perspective, cloning is not a viable alternative to "natural production" and, if anything, costs more. The benefit of cloning is better control and quality, not faster and cheaper production.

[industrian]

Originally Posted by Demigod

Uh, cloned animals also have to be born, raised, and killed to create food.

My last paragraph was meant jokingly.

Originally Posted by Demigod

The only thing special about a cloned animal is that it contains the exact same genetic constitution from the animal which the DNA was taken from. From a business perspective, cloning is not a viable alternative to "natural production" and, if anything, costs more. The benefit of cloning is better control and quality, not faster and cheaper production.

As I said, costs drop with demand. That goes for every non-finite resource on the planet. If companies invested in researching cheaper and more efficient means of cloning, then odds are on that cloning would become cheaper. But with that sort of investment, the "ethics of cloning humans" question would inevitably pop up again, and that'd stunt all growth in the sector.

[Player-X]

Cloning needs some resources to do such as skilled technicians and the instruments as well as a lab, artificial insemination is much more simple and cost effective.

Cloned animals would still need to be raised just like any "natural" cow, the profits will only come from cloning the genetically "best" cows for various markets such as breeding or super high quality beef.