Within the next few years Americans could be chowing down on cloned food. Experts have suggested that the US could approve clones for human consumption within three years. Last year the Food and Drug Administration issued an initial draft ruling declaring that milk and meat from cloned animals was safe to eat.
Although the European Food Safety Authority is investigating cloning it seems unlikely that cloned food will be eaten in Europe within the next few years. There are animal welfare concerns because of the high number of stillbirths and abnormalities in cloned animals.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA was firm on the issue: "We are totally opposed to the cloning of animals for food production purposes. The process is inefficient, and has a huge potential to cause the animals involved unnecessary pain, suffering and distress - for absolutely no valid reason."
(via BBC)
Once again the RSPCA has no clue what it's talking about...the current state of the science -- compared to that of 10 or 15 years ago when cloning was just emerging -- shows the efficiency of somatic cell nuclear transfer is approaching the same levels of success as artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, etc. There's go genetic manipulation of the DNA in a clone, no addition or substraction of genes, and given the animal is a genetic replica and its offspring are bred and born the way every other animal is born or bred, then let's all take a deep breath and be grateful we have the technology that keeps our quality food supply safe and affordable while maintaining the optimum wellbeing of these elite animals.