Not meat?

There’s nothing quite like biting into a tender, juicy steak. And apparently, there is nothing like biting into a tender, juicy steak that comes from a cloned cow. While cloning has been performed for several years now, it has recently been decided that livestock would be cloned for consumption. We don’t know exactly who proposed the idea of retailing cloned meat, but it is apparent that the farmers and FDA favor this decision.

So why clone meat for consumption? Do we have a shortage? The answer is a firm no. There is no lack of dairy products or meat, yet cloned foods are expected to hit our local grocery stores within the next year. In fact, cloned foods have technically been available since 2002, but the Food and Drug Administration put a voluntary ban on these products until further research was conducted. Since it has never been illegal to sell cloned meat and dairy products, it is very possible that we have all consumed some sort of cloned animal.

In addition, the FDA does not believe it is necessary to label cloned meat, claiming that it is not necessary for nutritional purposes. How is that fair to the consumer? We should have a right to know what we are ingesting. Although nutritional information may not change, health issues certainly arise that we should be warned of.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, most attempted clones are grossly defective or lost at development. Success rates range from 0-20 percent. Do you want to eat meat that comes from an animal with grotesque defects? Probably not. And while many consumers have clearly stated this, the FDA has failed to recognize our opinions.

Long-term health risks from consuming cloned meat have yet to be determined. The National Academy of Sciences states that cloning produces unstable animals that may have concealed illnesses that could affect food’s safety. Remember Dolly the sheep? She was put to sleep at the age of six because of her arthritis and lung disease. A typical sheep lives until the age of 11, five years longer than Dolly lived. As evidence has shown, cloned animals have heath problems that arise unexpectedly. If there is no long-standing evidence on the effects of cloning, why would we want to risk consuming such products?

One would assume that cloned livestock would produce more tender meat and richer milk. Unfortunately, there is no research to back up this claim. Scientists have stated that organic and grass-fed meats contain the most nutrients. In addition, many of the cloned animals will not be used for meat themselves, but rather their offspring. How is that meat going to be any better than the meat from a normal farm animal?

Farmers claim that they want to clone their “prized animals” that contain favorable characteristics. It’s understandable if they have a beloved pet that they want to re-create, but for nourishment? Honestly, you are going to ingest the animal, not parade it in around in a show. Breeders claim that cloning pigs and cows for food will allow for mass production of quality meat, however, they have failed to look at the ethical aspects of this.

If a typical calf sells for $1,000, and a cloned calf sells for $16,000, wouldn’t it be an appropriate assumption that meat and dairy prices would increase for cloned products? And for those wishing not to eat cloned meats, the only option will be to purchase organic meat, since it is clearly labeled. While many people are advocates for organic food, the prices are higher. Unfortunately, this appears to be the consumer’s only choice if you want “original” meat.

Cloning animals for food is morally unacceptable. Yes, we kill animals for food, but to do so without cause is unjustifiable. Breeders will kill many of their animals in an attempt to produce just one prized animal. Ninety percent of the time they will fail. It is not worth putting animals through this process for a slight chance at tastier meat.