Posted on 12/26/2006 8:43:16 AM PST by FLOutdoorsman
LOS ANGELES -- A long-awaited study by US scientists has concluded that meat and milk from cloned animals and their offspring are safe to eat and drink and should be allowed to enter the food supply without any special labeling.
The finding is a strong signal that the Food and Drug Administration will endorse the use of cloning technology for cattle, goats, and pigs when it publishes a key safety assessment intended to clear the way for formal approval of the products. That assessment is expected this week.
"All of the studies indicate that the composition of meat and milk from clones is within the compositional ranges of meat and milk consumed in the US," the FDA scientists concluded in a report published in the Jan. 1 issue of the journal Theriogenology, which focuses on animal reproduction.
The study, however, prompted a sharp reaction from food safety advocates.
The FDA "has been trying to foist this bad science on us for several years," said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Food Safety in Washington. "When there is so much concern among so many Americans, this is really a rush to judgment."
Many ranchers and dairy producers have already cloned animals for meat and milk production, but a voluntary moratorium initiated about five years ago by the FDA has largely kept them and their offspring out of grocery stores and restaurants.
However, ranchers say there is no doubt that some of the animals taken to slaughterhouses in the past couple of years have been fathered by clones.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Seriously, what did we expect. If they don't even put country of origin labels on products why would this be different.
I'd like to hear an argument from someone who opposes this, using scientific reasoning and absent any emotion. "You just never know" is not an answer.
On the top, I think of a clone’s protein, hormone, or fat levels could affect the safety and quality of its milk or meat.
Also, the implications of using “transgenic” animals. Cloning involves copying an existing animal only, while transgenics allows scientists to alter the gene structure of an animal, thus changing its attributes.
Can someone please explain why we need to clone a friggen chicken. Selective breeding has produced turkey's with breastmeat so large they cannot mate naturally or even walk. What will cloning bring us?
Your body does not break down food on a DNA level. When you drink cows milk do you moo, when you eat chicken do you cluck, are when you eat fish do you grow gills. Enough said, little common sense wouldn't hurt.
However, I agree with the country of origin, I don't want to consume food grown in mexico.
Just encourage the free market and put the label on it and see what happens.
Don't hide it, be proud of it and try to sell it.
Fat and hormone levels are already regulated and/or graded in farm animals. There is no reason why those issues would be any different in cloned animals or their food products.
"However, I agree with the country of origin, I don't want to consume food grown in mexico."
True but they do screen animals for disease. And since they still dont really understand DNA or cloning how can they be sure they arent introducing diseases into the food system. They can clone if they want but their decision not to label it as such means they want to keep us ignorant. Thats a pure marketing decision since nobody would buy cloned food.
Again, why is cloning such a good thing?
Just one person buying that gallon of milk from a cloned cow proves you wrong.
I'll be glad to be that person. And a sirloin steak, cloned or otherwise, sounds real good about now.
They can't even protect the food we've already got (spinach, lettuce, green onions), and now they want to foist frankenfood on us.
I'll take two.
More of the exact same turkeys, or whatever. Right?
It sort of begs the question: Which would be worse, a bird or animal which is the product of selected breeding (as you described - bred to provide more meat/eggs/milk/whatever), or clones of "unmanipulated" creatures, free of growth hormones and such? One day, there'll be a scandal over cloned "free range chicken", just wait.
Sadly it will take so long to overcome the 19th Century thinkers that my copy will not come along until after I'm to old to care anymore.
""You just never know" is not an answer.""
Sure it is, and better than the FDA's so-called "answer."
A lot of Big-Agra money corrupting our govt. these days.
Well then you should stop driving your car, because "You just never know" if the gas tank is going to spontaneously explode. You better quit using cell phones because "You just never know" about all those scary electronics and what it could be doing to your brain. You should probably stop drinking water from your faucet because "You just never know" what scary chemicals they are putting in the water supply.
From the article: "Consumers greeted the news with a combination of amazement and revulsion."
"Just encourage the free market and put the label on it and see what happens. Don't hide it, be proud of it and try to sell it."
Exactly. In the meanwhile, I'll keep buying local meat from the Amish, and growing or hunting & fishing for most of the rest of our foodstuffs.
This is one "consumer" who would totally take a pass on this.
"I Know" they are cloning.
"I Know" it is unnecessary.
"I know" not to trust the government.
Nice of you to decide. I hear tell that large caliber privately owned weapons are unnecessary, SUV's are unnecessary, and 6000 square foot homes are really unnecessary. We'll have to include your suggestion in the next five-year plan.
If this brings down the cost of food products, we will all live better and more people starving people will eat better in poor countries.
"It sort of begs the question: Which would be worse, a bird or animal which is the product of selected breeding (as you described - bred to provide more meat/eggs/milk/whatever), or clones of "unmanipulated" creatures, free of growth hormones and such?"
Sounds like both are equally bad. They use growth hormones to grow em fast as well as big. Cloning doesn't equate to free and natural. It equates to copies of a slightly off original. And as they make each copy of the copy the errors accumulate and pretty soon you have Tyson chicken, the company only Hillary can love.
Personally there are certain brands of meat products I won't buy because 1) they have no taste 2) questionable business practices 3) they are unneccessarily cruel to the animals.
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