The Food and Drug Administration's recent announcement that
"meat and milk from clones of cattle, swine (pigs), and goats . .
are as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals," is
generating mixed reactions.
Promising accurate and complete tracking of the animals, Cyagra,
Infigen, Tran Ova and other cloning companies are delighted. After
investing millions of dollars in developing the cloning technology,
corporations are hoping that consumers will swallow FDA assurance
of safety and, in due (main) course, cloned animal products.
Citing ethical and sustainability concerns, registered dietitian
and media literacy expert Melinda Hemmelgarn wasn't swayed by the
news: "Call me old-fashioned, but the thought of eating any part
of a cloned animal leaves a bitter taste in my mouth."
A November 2006 International Food Information Council poll
showed that 58 percent of Americans surveyed would be unlikely to
buy meat or milk from animal clones even if the FDA found them to
be safe. Only 16 percent had a favorable opinion of animal cloning.
A December 2006 Pew Initiative poll found nearly two-thirds of
those polled were uncomfortable with animal cloning, with 43
percent saying that cloned food is unsafe.
Animal cloning, or somatic cell nuclear transfer, involves
taking DNA from an animal possessing desirable characteristics and
inserting it into an egg whose DNA has been removed. Once the
resulting embryo is implanted into a surrogate mother (dam), it
grows into a genetically identical copy of the original animal.
The FDA's announcement provides an excellent opportunity for
food citizens to ask a number of questions about animal cloning and
the resulting food products that may soon appear in your
supermarket.
Here are a few to chew on.
Will I know if or when I'm eating products from cloned animals?
Probably not. Determining that there is no difference between
"products from clones and products from conventionally produced
animals," and having identified no food safety concerns, the FDA
concluded "there is no science-based reason to require labels to
distinguish between" the two.
Producers who don't buy into cloning (like those who didn't buy
into bovine growth hormones) may want to let consumers know. Before
"this product is clone-free" or the like can be printed on a milk
carton, the FDA will need to determine "compliance with statutory
requirements that labeling be truthful and not misleading."
Absence of identifying labeling on cloned products is not
considered untruthful or misleading.
How can I avoid cloned animal products?
Choose certified organic. The transfer of DNA from one cell to
another (cell fusion) is prohibited in organic production under the
National Organic Program. Cloning is incompatible with a core
principle of organic agriculture -- biodiversity. By making
"identical copies," cloning narrows the gene pool and weakens the
herd. Also, the artificial hormones used to induce labor of
surrogate mothers are prohibited in organic agriculture.
Is cloning animals ethical?
The FDA concluded cloning "results in an increased frequency of
health risks to animals involved in the cloning process." The
Center for Veterinary Medicine found that, "surrogate dams are at
risk of complications from birth." The Center for Food Safety
states, "cloning commonly results in high failure rates and
defects such as intestinal blockages; diabetes; shortened tendons;
deformed feet; weakened immune systems; dysfunctional hearts,
brains, livers, and kidneys; respiratory distress; and circulatory
problems."
Finally, should private investment and the inevitable public
policy (read public money) aimed at increasing livestock production
be encouraged?
The average daily per capita meat consumption in the United
States is roughly eight ounces. Yearly, Americans down nearly 200
pounds of meat, poultry and fish -- about twice global per capita
intake and far in excess of human biological protein need. China,
India and other emerging economies are doing their darndest to
catch up.
The dominant livestock production method -- closely confined,
grain-fed, antibiotic injected and generously hydrated -- is a
resource intensive and pollution generating affair.
Just because the FDA says it is safe to eat, doesn't mean
cloning livestock is a good idea.
--
(Jennifer Wilkins studies the connection between health and the
food and agriculture system in the Division of Nutritional Sciences
at Cornell University. Her e-mail address is jlw15@cornell.edu.)
c.2008 Albany Times Union