The FDA announced today that cloned animals (and offspring and milk produced by said clones) are safe to consume. The agency said that cloned cows and pigs and other farmed animals “are as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals.” Which, as you may have read, isn’t saying much.
But with cloned animals costing tens of thousands of dollars each, it’s unlikely they will become a staple of our diet unless the technology that produces them is radically less expensive. Their offspring, instead, may be killed to provide consistent meat and milk products.
If you don’t want to buy clones or cloned offspring, caveat emptor: the FDA “is not requiring labeling or any other additional measures for food from cattle, swine, and goat clones” or their offspring because the agency considers clones and non-clones identical. Food retailers and consumers, I think, will see the issue differently. I can just see the ads now: “the Carl’s Jr. 100% ORIGINAL beef burger! No clones!”
