Meat And Milk From Cloned Animals Similar to Other Animals? (moved from ATSNN)

A study that was recently done on cloned animals has found that the meat and milk from these animals is basically the same as meat and milk from animals that were reproduced normally. This study was done on the meat from 2 bulls and the milk from 4 cows that were clones and was compared to the same items from similar animals that were produced naturally and all were raised in the same conditions. While the study was done on a small number of animals and most likely won't be considered definitive it is a start, I am sure, of many studies to come.



Somehow, the terms essentially the same as, and within the parameters of, do more to raise concern for me than they do to reassure me. But, perhaps, as the field of cloning grows and the studies are done on a larger number of both first and second generations of cloned animals my concerns will be laid to rest.

[edit on 12-4-2005 by justme1640]

[edit on 12-4-2005 by justme1640]

I don't see how it should be any different. After all, we don't make the animals, we simply put the basic building blocks together, which we also didn't make, and let nature do the rest.

from the original news source
Cloning, the creation of an animal from the DNA of a single parent, should produce an animal identical to that parent. But as the technology has developed, many cloning attempts have ended in birth defects.

I think that the statement above from the original news source shows that while cloning should not cause any problems it is still a science that is in it's infancy (or perhaps it is now a toddler) and has not been perfected. I don't know the details of the birth defects but it makes me question if there can be problems at the genetic level of the cloned animals. So I would be concerned until many many more studies are done. Also I would like an independent research group to do the studies -- the fact that the studies so far have been by companies that specialize in reproductive biology does make you wonder at their impartiality. I'm hoping that the FDA studies will be more extensive.

Personally, I think further testing needs to be done to make sure it is safe. What happens when the clones create their own offspring will it still be safe then?

wecomeinpeace I agree also that the meat and milk products from the cloned animals should not be any different, the animals are replicas not mutations.

I also feel that more studies has to be done in the life time of the cloned animals to see how they live and age.

shots said - Personally, I think further testing needs to be done to make sure it is safe. What happens when the clones create their own offspring will it still be safe then?

Or when they make clones of clones -- It just worries me that there may still be more cases of birth defects than there are successful births when they are cloning animals. Does anyone know if they have cloned clones yet and done any studies on them?