by Harriet Steinberg

Created on: January 18, 2007   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

Are you going to belong to the group of people who will be afraid to eat meat or milk products derived from cloned animals? Many people in this category will ask themselves, "How safe will my dinner be tonight if I eat that delicious looking steak?"

According to the recent report from the Food and Drug Administration, meat and milk from cloned cattle, pigs, and goats are safe. However, the question remains to be answered. Is it ethically acceptable for humans to alter the essential nature of animals?

It was suggested that Congressional hearings should be started on this issue. Polls indicate that many Americans are not anxious to eat bacon or cheeseburgers made from cloned animals. In a survey released recently, the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, 64% of respondents were at least somewhat uncomfortable with animal cloning.

For those who are interested in the health issue only, it seems that consuming the meat or milk from cloned animals is safe. The FDA's agency's Center for Veterinary Medicine focused on the health of cloned animals and their progeny. They focused on blood tests and compared the results with animals bred conventionally. Researchers also conducted detailed chemical analyses of meat and milk from clones and their offspring. There were a variety of tests conducted and there were no differences between food from clones and their offspring compared to food from conventionally raised animals.

Farmers and ranchers like the idea of cloning because they are able to create another cow who may be a prolific milk producer or a bull whose offspring can produce lean and juicy steaks.

Presently, cloned animals and their offspring will be kept out of the food supply. It will remain this way until the FDA issues its final report which may be at the end of 2007.

Consumer advocates fear that products from clones will wind up in grocery stores and restaurants without special labeling which would give shoppers or diners the choice of avoiding the products.

The good news is that the FDA will no doubt hold off on making a decision on labeling until it reviews public comments within the next three months.

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