Cloned animals could become a reality
Jeanne:
August 7th, 2007
Cloning technologies have improved immensely since the birth of Dolly the sheep 11 years ago. Given these improvements, it seems only a matter of time before cloned livestock become commonplace on western farms. At the moment, animal cloning only occurs in very special instances. However, the US Food and Drug Administration is expected to make a landmark ruling at the end of the year which could make large-scale commercial cloning a reality. Most importantly, it will allow meat from cloned animals to enter the human food chain. Most consumers, however, appear less than pleased when presented with the prospect of eating meat originating from cloned animals.
The cloning of farm animals is a flourishing business in the US state of Texas. ViaGen, a commercial cloning organisation in Austin, Texas, has cloned several hundred farm animals in recent years. However, the company’s services do not come cheap. Having your prize bull cloned is likely to set you back a massive $15,000. Currently, most of the corporation’s clientèle are farmers specialising in the breeding of high-quality livestock. According to ViaGen’s director, Blake Russell,
“Cloning technology is currently in a rapid state of development and will meet the needs of large agricultural farms around the world very, very soon.”
Other cloning-related projects are currently in the pipeline as well. Texas A & M University is embarking on a project to clone a number of endangered species. Researchers at the university have already successfully cloned a cat. The cat, known as Copy Cat (or CC) was the handiwork of scientist Charles Long who has commented extensively on the issues surrounding the subject:
“There is nothing different about clones than there is any animal which is out there in the regular population. Therefore the FDA can really only come to one decision, which is to allow cloned animals to go into the food chain without labelling.”
Nevertheless, cloning continues to remain a very controversial subject, in this, one of the most conservative states in the country. The American President, George W. Bush, has vowed to maintain rigid controls over cloning in the United States. Nevertheless, many farmers are looking forward to the prospect of breeding cloned animals. Governments in the United Kingdom and Europe, however, seem less willing to engage in animal cloning for commercial purposes