Since the first successful mammal cloning experiment, science has made giant leaps in biotechnology and genetic engineering. In 2002, cloned meat was reported safe for human consumption by the National Academy of Sciences in the U.S. In December 2006, the FDA corroborated previous reports.
However, many Americans and food producers feel uneasy. According to Will Rostov, a senior attorney at the Center for Food and Safety, “People tend to feel less repulsed by eating the offspring, so it’s clone descendents that we’ll eat—though we probably won’t know for sure.”
Genetic modification is inevitable in the cloning process. In fact, premature death and disease outbreaks are common in cloned animals. “Genetic uniformity [leaves] them prone to disease outbreaks or even bioterrorism. With traditional breeding you’re trying to improve the genetics. Cloning freezes it at one moment,” says Rostov. The same is true for in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination.
The FDA assures that these animals are tested. Only the offspring of healthy clones are given the stamp of approval. These clones are mainly used as breeding stock for farmers. “Cloning acts as an ‘insurance program’ for breeders allowing them to preserve the genes of [strong, healthy] cows and bulls to create a clone for later breeding,” says University of Purdue geneticist Bill Muir.
Many cloning companies and scientists agree that cloned products are safe to eat because the animals that survive are typically normal. Nutrient content in cloned products is comparable to naturally bred animals. The cost to clone a cow is about $17,000 USD, dropping as multiple copies are produced. Blake Russell, vice president of sales and business development at cloning company ViaGen, says that “with natural or assisted reproduction, roughly five to 10 per cent of all females and 50 per cent of all males bred for better genetics don’t inherit their parents’ best qualities and must be sold at a loss, as “salvage” animals. Cloning, on the other hand, almost guarantees the high-fidelity replication of desirable traits.”
This could translate to an added $24,000 value added annually for every $3,000 cloning investment. Positive economically, the disease risk and adverse health effects seem to be less well studied.
Some scientists aren’t as concerned with the effect on humans as the animals’ health. Creating a monoculture makes animals more susceptible to disease, due to a lack of genetic variation. A weakened immune system is one such result of inbreeding.
American consumers may not know if their local supermarkets are stocking cloned products because the FDA doesn’t require product labeling. Sale of cloned products is forbidden in Canada. In 2007 Health Canada officials stated they were waiting on FDA results, meaning cloned meat could find its way onto our dinner plates in the near future.
