Animal Cloning for Human Consumption

After many long hard working days, I was trying to utilize my time wisely by catching up with the news on the internet. One of the article form Washington Post caught my eyes, with the title “Clone-Generated Milk may be approved”. The article is over one year old, where have I been around those days? I paused for a second and tried to comprehend the facts about science. The agricultural industry has observed a voluntary FDA moratorium on using the products of clones, but it has recently become clear that a few offspring of cloned pigs and cows are already trickling into the food supply.

Many in agriculture believe such genetic copies are the next logical step in improving the nation’s livestock. (Justin, 2005, pp. 2) “Americans at the beginning of the 21st century are consuming more food and several hundred more calories per person per day than did their counterparts in the late 1950s. Now more than ever, America is a Nation of meat eaters. In 2000, total meat consumption (red meat, poultry, and fish) reached 195 pounds (boneless, trimmed-weight equivalent) per person, 57 pounds above average annual consumption in the 1950s.

Each American consumed an average of 7 pounds more red meat than in the 1950s, 46 pounds more poultry, and 4 pounds more fish and shellfish. Rising consumer incomes, especially with the increase in two-income households, and meat prices in the 1990s that were often at 50-year lows, when adjusted for inflation, explain much of the increase in meat consumption. In addition, the meat industry has provided scores of new brand-name, value-added products processed for consumers’ convenience, as well as a host of products for foodservice operators’. United States Department of Agriculture [USDA], 2002, pp. 3). Those reason above might be one of the many reasons that lead farming industry to desperation level and desire to produce more food at an advance level. Let’s take a step back on this Due to the supply and demand concept, we have raised in the society that consume more meat than ever. Our childhood and daily lives will be surround by McDonald, Burger King numerous of others tasty delightful meat dishes. The bottom line is, “We Love to Eat Meat”.

A French lawyer and politician, was quite possibly the most famous French epicure and gastronome of all once said “Tell me what you eat, I will tell you who you are”. Once I was growing up in the third world country, we most likely eat to live. Fast forward twenty years later, we don’t have to worry about food anymore, but the medical bill instead, from high blood pressure, to cholesterol to heart disease or diabetes etc. We are practically digging our own graves by eating so much or so little of a wrong food, either so much of good food or so little bad food.

The increasing use of animal products as well as leading to the misery, waste and pollution of factory farming is also responsible for the erosion of biodiversity and peoples livelihoods. The crops most grown of industrial food production are maize and soy not for human consumption but for animal feed. The damage done by the production and use of biocides and artificial fertilizers is almost unimaginable. Pesticide pollution of the natural world (air, water & soil) is one of the major reasons for the staggering loss of biodiversity (Luke, p. 6). Genetics growth farm animals are normal to meet the demand of the market and profit margin for farmers. In early 1990, FDA has claimed that Bovine Growth were harmless for human (Beverly, 1990). But in 2002, the same agency requested the report to aid the agency in determining the safety of certain animal biotechnology products. A 12 member committee from the National Research Council (NRC) reviewed existing science to identify what health and environmental problems might be posed by genetically modified animals.

Short of three years later, the very same agency once again broadcasted that may be approved. That confliction of uncertainty does not give consumer as myself the confidence of those researches. Genetically modified food already known with numerous harmful effects to human. (Nathan, n. d. ). If we stick with “what you do not know will not hurt you”. I will confide with my limited knowledge and comfortable eating my way to emergency room or short term life insurance policy. In conclusion, should we look concern about consumption of cloning meat?

I would like to think so; I may have to stop and being skeptical every time I see that USDA stamp on the meat aisle in supermarket. Our federal government owned the truthful answer to their citizens (or at least the taxpayer money) to protect our environment before causing further damage as it already is. I don’t suppose to earn the extra credit for full pledged and complete thesis about cloning research here. But I have a firm believe there will more viable proof and evidence about long term or unknown side effects on the horizon awaiting its chance.

Next generation, it may not be mad cow disease or bird flu anymore; instead, it could be flying pig or talking donkey disease. References Justin, G. (2005, October 06). Clone-Generated Milk, Meat May Be Approved. Favorable FDA ruling seen as imminent. Retrieved March 31, 2007, from http://www. washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/05/AR2005100502074. html United States Department of Agriculture. (2002). Agriculture fact book 2001-2002. Retrieved March 31, 2007, from http://www. usda. gov/factbook/chapter2. htm Luke, A.. 1999). Genetic engineering, food, and our environment. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Pub. Co. Beverly, C. (1990). Bovine growth hormone. Retrieved March 31, 2007, from http://www. fda. gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00068. HTML Nathan, B. (n. d. ). 50 Harmful effects of genetically modified foods. Retrieved , , from http://www. cqs. com/50harm. htm Cat, L. (2002, Aug 21). Transgenic animals could pose environmental threat. Retrieved March 31, 2007, from http://www. ens-newswire. com/ens/aug2002/2002-08-21-06. asp