US company in Iowa churns out 100 cloned cows a year

I just read this article today. I didn’t know the USDA is allowing cloned animals for human consumption. Did you? Here are some highlights from the article.

"Each year, the company gives birth, using the cloning technique, to about 100 calves. It also clones pigs and horses."

"In 2008, the agency charged with US food safety, the Food and Drug Administration, approved consumption of meat and milk from cloned cows, pigs and goats.

But on the other side of the Atlantic, just last December, the European Commission, the European Union's executive, proposed a ban on the cloning of animals used for food and their import. That has yet to be decided."

"The US authorities have made a major mistake by not regulating it, and allowing consumption of cloned meat before long-term studies of its impact on human health, said Jaydee Hanson, senior policy analyst at the non-profit Center for Food Safety.

Mortality rates are higher than for non-cloned animals at all stages of development, and surrogate cows carrying the cloned egg have more problems during pregnancy and delivery, said Hanson."

"But the bottom line is you do not want large numbers of these animals for a number of reasons, number one being that cloned animals are generally unhealthy."

Here is a link to the whole article: http://news.yahoo.com/us-company-iowa-churns-100-cloned-cows-054827926.html

Happy 4'th of July to you as well this week! We have lots of 'natural' pork and chicken for your party/grilling needs this week. Come on out to the farm store! : )

 ~Ben