Released: December 29, 2006

What’s up with food from cloned animals?

Source: Elizabeth Weise, USA Today

As expected, the Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that its scientific assessment of meat and milk from cloned animals determined they were safe for human consumption. The announcement, coming after four years of review and research, is just the beginning of what will be a year or more process of public input and discussion before these products can be sold. USA Today’s Elizabeth Weise explains the issues involved.

Q: How are clones made?

A: Let’s use a cow as an example, as cattle are the most commonly cloned farm animals right now. A single cell is taken from an adult cow. Its genetic material is inserted into another cow’s egg that has had its genetic material removed. A jolt of electricity tricks the egg into thinking it has been fertilized and it begins to grow. The resulting embryo is implanted into the uterus of a surrogate cow, which gives birth to the cloned calf.

Q: Will cloned meat and milk be on supermarket shelves soon?

A: No. After public comment is collected during a 90-day period, the agency has to go through it all and incorporate it into its guidelines for the industry. FDA doesn’t expect to finish that process until the end of 2007 at the earliest. The voluntary moratorium on the sale of meat and milk from cloned animals will remain in effect until that happens, so nothing should arrive in stores until at least 2008.

Q: So in 2008 all our meat and milk will be from clones?

A: No. Clones are expensive to produce, about $20,000 per animal. For example, there are only about 150 cloned cows in the USA today. They’re too pricey and too rare to use as meat or really even as milking cows. Instead, they’ll be used like elite breeding stock, “to pass on naturally occurring, desirable traits such as disease resistance and higher-quality meat to production herds,” in the FDA’s words.

Read Full Article: What’s up with food from cloned animals?