I think the conversation followed Kitara’s arguments, that the line between cloning and breeding isn’t that clear - both produce generations of “identical” animals - and the resulting product isn’t more or less harmful to humans than a bred product. On the other hand, the conversation argued, bred populations tend to have weaknesses (to disease, injury, etc) and that problem would be present and perhaps amplified in the situation of clones. These weaknesses are bad for the animals, no doubt, and possibly dangerous for the humans that eat them too, as sicknesses result in over-use of antibiotics, etc . . .

audio was here: http://news.yahoo.com/video/2142

ps. I’m a Pittsburgher and pretty excited about this blog. My blog links to my other Pittsburgh food favorites . . .

Right now cloning livestock for food is not feasible. But the idea behind is brilliant. It is a short cut to getting desirable traits in meat. Instead of breeding traits with rather unexpected results you get the qualities of the animal you want up front. If say a pig has the right meat to fat ratio and grows to the correct size, is disease resistant and has the right meat flavor it is easy to just go ahead and produce more of the same animal rather than try to breed the exact same traits again.

Cloned meat is also a good way to bring back marginalized or nearly non-existent species. There has been a lot of discussion recently about heirloom animal species in an ongoing attempt to recapture the food taste of our forefathers. This is especially apparent in pork where people are now seeking pig varieties that are not as lean as the commercially available products. Some of the heirloom animals are reduced to essentially pet status an bringing them back is a difficult, daunting proposition. It would be easier if you could select a small group of excellent genetic specimens of the breed from all over the world and clone them. You could then breed or clone accordingly. It might also help bio diversity, as you cannot breed long distance (frozen, fed-exed sperm not withstanding) but you can certainly clone across the world.

I don’t even see why it’s an issues. The resulting animal is still just meat. What difference does it make if it started out as a natural egg or a manipulated one. Heck I don’t even care of the egg is a chimera (a cross between two species). Cross my bunny with jelly fish, bring it on. Cross my goat with spider genes (actual plan not making it up), go for it. So long as the meat is not toxic, I am AOK with it. Just means I get to try something exotic.

We revel in eating weird and difficult to get foods. So why would an ordinary side of beef be so daunting?

Which side of me will win out?

I don’t know. But the part that really gets me is that they know we don’t want it because they are saying they are refusing to distinguish between the two as they think that consumers will ban anything with the cloned meat. THAT’S how you know the Lobbyists have too much power.

That said, it is troubling that the comment period is so much shorter for this issue than others.