Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

FDA Decides Cloned Animals Safe to Eat

Posted by Zonk on from the mmmmm-frankenburger dept.

friedo writes "After five years of research, the Food and Drug Administration has decided that meat and milk from cloned animals is safe to eat. From the article: 'The government believes meat and milk from cattle, swine and goat clones is as safe to eat as the food we eat every day, said Stephen F. Sundlof, director of the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine. Meat and milk from the offspring of clones is also safe, the agency concluded. Officials said they did not have enough information to decide whether food from sheep clones is safe. If food from clones is indistinguishable, FDA doesn't have the authority to require labels, Sundlof said. Companies trying to distance themselves from cloning must be careful with their wording, he added.'"

4 of 323 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Isn't uh.. by ScentCone · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I suppose they could only clone high quality animals for the best hauls of meat.. maybe I answered my own question.

    In practice, no one is talking about cloning (for example) cattle for meat. The whole point here is to clone the bulls that are shown to produce offspring that, in turn, happen to make really good steaks (or lattes, etc). A prize bull is worth a fortune as a breeding stud. A clone of him is worth spending a fortune on, since he can go forth and make more of what's been working so well for the rancher. Breeding programs are lifelong, and even multi-(human)-generational activities. When you strike genetic gold, it's great to be able to preserve it.

    --
    Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
  2. Make sure the cow's not nearsighted. That's fatal by Fullhazard · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What 'hereditary health problem that is harmful to humans'. I defy you to name a single hereditary, undetectable health problem in cattle that is the slightest bit dangerous. Wait! Wouldn't a defect that hurts humans also hurt/kill the cow? Because we have very similar biologies?

  3. Re:So.. by Dunbal · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't know who is funnier.. you, unable to distinguish higher orders of animal life from an earthworm

          Who made YOU God, that you can sit in judgment over our poor earthworms so? Where I come from, earthworms are what recycle all that vegetable matter back into the food chain. Without them, you wouldn't exist. Who is the higher life form NOW, Mr. Smarty-pants?

          Remember, your worm is your friend!

    --
    Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
  4. Re:Make sure the cow's not nearsighted. That's fat by robably · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I defy you to name a single hereditary, undetectable health problem in cattle that is the slightest bit dangerous.
    The disease itself doesn't have to be hereditable - the cows could simply have an undetectable hereditary increased susceptibility to, say, BSE. Naturally, the progress of a disease is halting, but when the entire population it is spreading through is uniformly "easy prey", all the cows could become infected very quickly indeed. We could all have eaten infected meat before the disease makes itself apparent in the cattle.