Cloned Meat – Both Sides of the Debate
March 29, 2012
•Le Cordon Bleu
•San Francisco
• 0 Comments
Cloned Meat – Both Sides of the Debate
When the FDA first approved cloned meat in 2008, there was no doubt that this bit of information would hit every culinary news site. Whether you agree or disagree, there are many points which have been made on both sides of the argument. Is it ethical? Is it more economical? These are questions that are still being asked today three years later. If you are a culinary enthusiast, then you realize that knowing where your ingredients come from is one important aspect of cooking. For those who cook with meat, the idea of cloning livestock is something that must be taken into account. If it looks like meat, tastes like meat but was created in a way other than the traditional reproductive method the nation knows and are a comfortable with it, is it acceptable? This is far more than a factual debate, for many it’s a moral one.
The “Pro” Side of the Argument
After extensive FDA research, it was discovered that animals produced through cloning, rather than traditional reproduction, pose no risk to the general public when eaten or consuming their byproducts (i.e. milk and cheese). While many people seem to have an unpleasant first reaction to the thought of eating a cloned piece of beef or chicken, the fact (as reiterated by the FDA) is that this animal is no different than the animals we have been raising for centuries. Many believe that by cloning animals, they can be bred to produce more product (milk, eggs) than the average animal. Perhaps even cloned chickens could be manipulated to produce lower cholesterol eggs or other animals could be modified to produce better nutritional value in other meats. Many professionals claim that cloning is actually a safer process than traditional breeding for livestock. It could cut down on infection, venereal disease and injuries to the animals. You may have already eaten cloned meat without even realizing it. Since it is viewed by the FDA as the same thing as normal meat, there is no need to label it as such.
The “Con” Side of the Argument
Perhaps the first and most prominent question raised by those opposed to this farming practice is, “what gives us the right to mess with nature?” Furthermore, cloning is not an exact science, it’s expensive and not always a definite thing. Current estimates are about 1 out of 90 clones will survive and as we continue to clone these animals, we stop genetic diversity, survival of the fittest or what some may even see as the evolution of the species. There is also a stigma that is associated with cloned animals. For many British consumers, the recent realization that cloned beef and milk products had unknowingly entered their marketplace was enough to cause widespread panic as the pieces are barely back in place yet from the mad cow disease scare. Those against the practice feel that these products should be labeled just as organic products or cage-free eggs are labeled now. For those against animal cloning, the debate is an ethical one and many feel it is morally reproachable.
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