Food from Cloned Animals Receives Preliminary U.S. Approval

Cloned pigs, cattle, and goats may soon be available for human consumption.

On December 28, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a draft risk assessment declaring that the meat and milk of cloned cattle, pigs, goats, and their offspring is “as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals.” The risk assessment and two other related documents are open to public comment for a 90-day period. Experts predict the Administration’s decision will influence cloning regulations beyond the United States.

While the FDA is widely expected to approve the sale of food from certain clones and their offspring, this is not likely to lead to a surge of the foods on the market, reports journalist Heidi Ledford. According to Ledford, cloning is an expensive technique that will be most useful for developing elite animals for breeding. The offspring of these clones will probably be the first to enter the food system, though some original clones may eventually be consumed as well.

Chikara Kubota, an animal-cloning researcher at Kagoshima University in Japan, tells Ledford the U.S. announcement is a relief and will likely affect the moratorium on clones in Japan and other countries. Mal Brandon of Australasia’s Clone International says the FDA announcement is good news for his animal cloning company, which has licenses to manufacture cloned cattle and sheep in Australia, New Zealand, and China. But other experts harbor concerns about the U.S. proposal. Worldwatch Institute researcher Danielle Nierenberg notes that clones have not been around long enough to ensure they are safe for human consumption.

Nierenberg is particularly concerned that, like genetically modified organisms (GMOs), clones will not be required to carry an identifying label in stores. “Consumers won’t have a choice” when it comes to deciding whether or not to eat the products of offspring from cloned animals, she says. And because there is already a milk and meat glut on the U.S. market, clones are not necessary: “Instead of building super-species of animals in laboratories, science should be focusing on conserving heritage and native breeds of animals that are in danger of extinction from industrial agriculture,” Nierenberg says.

The FDA states that it does not have the authority to address the ethics of animal cloning, but the Humane Society of the United States believes this facet should not be ignored. The group reports that recent cloning research reveals “problems indicative of poor animal welfare,” including premature death and abnormalities such as diabetes, deformed feet, respiratory distress, and weakened immune systems.

This story was produced by Eye on Earth, a joint project of the Worldwatch Institute and the blue moon fund. View the complete archive of Eye on Earth stories, or contact Staff Writer Alana Herro at aherro [AT] worldwatch [DOT] org with your questions, comments, and story ideas.