The Other, Other (Red) Meat
by Robbie Havdala (Class of '05)
Currently, cloning is used in mass production of crops like soybeans. Americans have, for the most part, been unknowingly eating these genetically cloned produces for ages. Pending the FDA’s approval, cloned animals could be coming to the dinner table as well.
Companies like ViaGen and Cyagra dominate the up-and-coming nascent food cloning industry. After a 2003 release by the FDA stating that food cloning is safe, farmers are on their toes waiting for the FDA approval for commercialization. Though no law prohibits doing so, ViaGen has voluntarily withheld its products until the FDA release. Nonetheless, many cloned animals are already living and waiting for the OK.
Genetic cloning has developed rapidly over the past few years. The process involves the extraction of a nucleus from an adult cell and implanting it within the embryo in the surrogate mother animal. Currently, the cost for the procedure is about $8,000 per animal, drastically cheaper than the price in 2003, $82,000 per animal. With the price rapidly decreasing, the market appears to be favorable to cloning
Cloned food opens the door for the meat industry. “Increased genetic merit (of clones) for increased food production, disease resistance, and reproductive efficiency,” are all factors that would lead to higher quality food, according to a National Research Council statement in 2004.
The future looks bright for ViaGen and Cyagra, as preliminary surveys found little to no risk at all in consumption of genetically cloned foods. Japan has had similar results as Americans, leading experts to expect an imminent approval from the FDA.
With the anticipated sanction, opponents of cloning are appearing weaker and weaker. Adversaries of the process note that cloned animals are still distinguishable from normal ones at birth. Even so, experts claim that abnormalities are subtle and have no effect upon human consumption.
The growing concern now has become convincing the public that genetically cloned food is safe. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has publicly refrained from supporting milk made by cloned cows, but they face similar concerns as the meat industry. ViaGen has insisted that the process is genetic duplication, not modification, claiming that the process is just like making twins--the life and characteristics of the animal are still determined by the environment it is brought up in.
Nonetheless, the public has been frightened by the “yuck” factor. According to a March survey by the International Food Information Council, 63 percent of consumers would not buy food from cloned animals, even if the FDA approves the process. Many believe that cloning of animals for consumption crosses the line. Analysts also fear foreign markets may reject American products if the market shifts completely to a market of genetically duplicated animals.
In the end, it all comes down to the consumers of America. As Mark Nelson of the Grocery Manufacturers of America put it, “We support the science. But out members are in the business of selling food to the public. If the public doesn’t want to eat Velveeta made from cloned milk, it ain’t gonna happen.”
References:
Currently, cloning is used in mass production of crops like soybeans. Americans have, for the most part, been unknowingly eating these genetically cloned produces for ages. Pending the FDA’s approval, cloned animals could be coming to the dinner table as well.
Companies like ViaGen and Cyagra dominate the up-and-coming nascent food cloning industry. After a 2003 release by the FDA stating that food cloning is safe, farmers are on their toes waiting for the FDA approval for commercialization. Though no law prohibits doing so, ViaGen has voluntarily withheld its products until the FDA release. Nonetheless, many cloned animals are already living and waiting for the OK.
Genetic cloning has developed rapidly over the past few years. The process involves the extraction of a nucleus from an adult cell and implanting it within the embryo in the surrogate mother animal. Currently, the cost for the procedure is about $8,000 per animal, drastically cheaper than the price in 2003, $82,000 per animal. With the price rapidly decreasing, the market appears to be favorable to cloning
Cloned food opens the door for the meat industry. “Increased genetic merit (of clones) for increased food production, disease resistance, and reproductive efficiency,” are all factors that would lead to higher quality food, according to a National Research Council statement in 2004.
The future looks bright for ViaGen and Cyagra, as preliminary surveys found little to no risk at all in consumption of genetically cloned foods. Japan has had similar results as Americans, leading experts to expect an imminent approval from the FDA.
With the anticipated sanction, opponents of cloning are appearing weaker and weaker. Adversaries of the process note that cloned animals are still distinguishable from normal ones at birth. Even so, experts claim that abnormalities are subtle and have no effect upon human consumption.
The growing concern now has become convincing the public that genetically cloned food is safe. The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has publicly refrained from supporting milk made by cloned cows, but they face similar concerns as the meat industry. ViaGen has insisted that the process is genetic duplication, not modification, claiming that the process is just like making twins--the life and characteristics of the animal are still determined by the environment it is brought up in.
Nonetheless, the public has been frightened by the “yuck” factor. According to a March survey by the International Food Information Council, 63 percent of consumers would not buy food from cloned animals, even if the FDA approves the process. Many believe that cloning of animals for consumption crosses the line. Analysts also fear foreign markets may reject American products if the market shifts completely to a market of genetically duplicated animals.
In the end, it all comes down to the consumers of America. As Mark Nelson of the Grocery Manufacturers of America put it, “We support the science. But out members are in the business of selling food to the public. If the public doesn’t want to eat Velveeta made from cloned milk, it ain’t gonna happen.”
References:
- Clone-Generated Milk, Meat May Be Approved, good as of 11/09/05
- FDA: Food from animal clones safe to eat, good as of 11/09/05
- Cloned Food OK by FDA, good as of 11/09/05
- Brave new grill: Is cloned food destined for menu?, good as of 11/09/05
- “Safety of Clones in Food Supply Underscored in National Academy of Sciences Report”, good as of 11/09/05
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