US 'will rule cloned food safe'


Clones that survive are the same as other animals, the FDA says
Milk and meat from cloned animals will not need special approval or labelling for sale in the United States, the country's food regulator is likely to decide.
Preliminary Food and Drug Administration findings suggest that products from healthy cloned animals are safe.

The FDA is releasing a summary of findings on Friday before a public meeting on the subject.

Consumer groups have objected to the sale of such products.

Cloning animals is currently too expensive to be practical for food production, but farmers could clone top-quality animals for breeding.

Offspring of those clones could then enter the food supply without labelling, the findings imply.

"If we consider [products from clones] materially the same as traditional foods, the role for the FDA would be minimal," the agency's Dr Stephen Sundlof told the New York Times.

'Indistinguishable'

Cloning - making an exact genetic copy of an organism - tends to produce a higher proportion of miscarried embryos and abnormal offspring than traditional reproduction.


But the FDA has found that cloned animals that survive infancy seem to be as healthy as other animals and that food from them should pose no risk.

"As the animal matures, [cloned and other animals] become indistinguishable," Dr Sundlof told the Associated Press.

But the agency will engage in public consultation before approving food from cloned animals, starting with an open meeting next Tuesday.

It is posting a summary of its preliminary findings on its website on Friday. A full 300-page report is expected to follow.

A final decision could take another year.

The food industry currently observes a voluntary moratorium on selling products from cloned animals.

It is expected to remain in place until a final FDA ruling.

There are currently estimated to be several hundred cloned cows in the United States, out of a total US cattle population of about 100 million.

Hmpff...I wonder whether these lovely cows and chickens could end up in City Meat? I just hope they label whats cloned and what aint.:eek:

Hmpff...I wonder whether these lovely cows and chickens could end up in City Meat? I just hope they label whats cloned and what aint.:eek:


In answer to your question. Probably. Maybe not immediately, but eventually.

In response to your hope. I seriously doubt it.

If u eat more than 1 grain of corn or rice fron the same cob or stalk,are they not clones as well? So wa is the big deal about?We are not talking about radioactive food,heavily medicated food or even one of Bombay's sacred cows.What to hell is the difference from non cloned food? Can anyone explain that in a non emotional manner please?:confused:

What to hell is the difference from non cloned food? Can anyone explain that in a non emotional manner please?:confused:

this probably coincides with genetic manipulation of food which has been going on for a while now. You breed what is considered a perfect source of food and clone it to ensure no genetic changes take place. but i dunno, i kinda like diversity in nature.

edit: kinda makes me want to change my major back to chemistry..hehe

Hmpff...I wonder whether these lovely cows and chickens could end up in City Meat? I just hope they label whats cloned and what aint.:eek:

and the big difference between the two would be?

maybe she wants them to label which is american also ..
cause yah know she hates the americans ..

The difference between cloned animals and those that were not is psychological. Many people would be averse to eating a cloned cow. That is their right and it should be respected. In many parts of the world people eat rats, cats, dogs, skunks, kangaroo, , insects, squid, ostriches, snakes, bison, monkeys and alligators. We Bahamians would not generally find that appealing or appetizing. There is nothing wrong with these animals and many are more nutritious than our regular fare. The reason we don't want it is psychological and nobody can force us to eat them. Similarly nobody should force AMA or anyone else to eat a cloned cow.

Put a label on it. Give the consumer a choice.

The difference between cloned animals and those that were not is psychological. Many people would be averse to eating a cloned cow. That is their right and it should be respected. In many parts of the world people eat rats, cats, dogs, skunks, kangaroo, , insects, squid, ostriches, snakes, bison, monkeys and alligators. We Bahamians would not generally find that appealing or appetizing. There is nothing wrong with these animals and many are more nutritious than our regular fare. The reason we don't want it is psychological and nobody can force us to eat them. Similarly nobody should force AMA or anyone else to eat a cloned cow.
Put a label on it. Give the consumer a choice.

talking bout Bahamian Food stores though .. nothing here is regulated .. we lucky if they even got meat and it isnt out of date ..

talking bout Bahamian Food stores though .. nothing here is regulated .. we lucky if they even got meat and it isnt out of date ..

That is right! and a poor choice of meats at that!

The difference between cloned animals and those that were not is psychological. Many people would be averse to eating a cloned cow. That is their right and it should be respected. In many parts of the world people eat rats, cats, dogs, skunks, kangaroo, , insects, squid, ostriches, snakes, bison, monkeys and alligators. We Bahamians would not generally find that appealing or appetizing. There is nothing wrong with these animals and many are more nutritious than our regular fare. The reason we don't want it is psychological and nobody can force us to eat them. Similarly nobody should force AMA or anyone else to eat a cloned cow.
Put a label on it. Give the consumer a choice.

I see your point,
The thing is, i am all for consumer choice and consumer knowledge but this cloning bit doesn't seem as important to me as say... were these particular cows slaughtered in this way or another, brought up indoors or outdoors, forced to eat mixtures that included beef. Because besides ethical (psychological as you say) concerns, these factors can actually affect the quality and healthiness of the meat.

I see your point,
The thing is, i am all for consumer choice and consumer knowledge but this cloning bit doesn't seem as important to me as say... were these particular cows slaughtered in this way or another, brought up indoors or outdoors, forced to eat mixtures that included beef. Because besides ethical (psychological as you say) concerns, these factors can actually affect the quality and healthiness of the meat.


Sanitation and health isn't everything. How would you feel about placing pork by products in a kosher sausage, and then sold to Jews. How about placing meat in a soy burger that is designed for vegans. How about a Muslim prisoner being forced to eat pork.

For some people psychological appropriateness of their food is sometimes more important than the sanitary and health concerns.

Sanitation and health isn't everything. How would you feel about placing pork by products in a kosher sausage, and then sold to Jews. How about placing meat in a soy burger that is designed for vegans. How about a Muslim prisoner being forced to eat pork.
For some people psychological appropriateness of their food is sometimes more important than the sanitary and health concerns.

well the third one is horrible but irrelevant in this case,
the other two are not examples of not labeling but examples of mislabeling so I would think it's a bit different. I'm just trying to see the moral basis (psychological whatever) against cloned meat.

well the third one is horrible but irrelevant in this case,
the other two are not examples of not labeling but examples of mislabeling so I would think it's a bit different. I'm just trying to see the moral basis (psychological whatever) against cloned meat.


Many religious people have a problem with cloning. They consider cloning to be morally reprehensible and an attempt to play God. I do not see them buying meat that may be cloned and not caring.

Jews do not believe in eating food that is not "kosher". There was a time when food was not labeled kosher, now, even here in The Bahamas every food store has kosher foods available. All I am advocating is that if any meat producer decides that it is a good idea to raise, market and sell cloned meat, someone should require that they label it as such.

got ya
see, me being not religious i have a difficulty finding problems with a lot of things so sometimes the religious people will have to point out what exactly offends their touchy feelings.