Newswise — Now that some of the first farm animals developed through cloning have produced offspring, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is scheduled to release a preliminary report Tuesday, Nov. 4, on the potential hazards of allowing food from cloned animals to be sold to consumers.
Dr. Thomas J. Hoban, professor of sociology and food science at North Carolina State University, can discuss the implications of the FDA policy. Based on research into consumer responses to animal biotechnology, Hoban believes consumers will not view cloned-animal food products as equivalent to normally bred animal food products, for a number of reasons.
First, Hoban says, research shows many people have legitimate concerns about animal welfare and believe that animals have some basic rights. People fear that living animals will suffer pain through cloning and genetic modification, especially from the many failed attempts associated with cloning. People also develop strong emotional bonds with companion animals, Hoban says.
Another reason for greater concern over animal biotechnology relates to the fact that animals are closer to humans in an evolutionary sense than are plants or microbes. Hoban says some consumers worry that once scientists are able to modify or clone animals, the "slippery slope" will extend to human cloning.
Public confidence in the government also determines the likelihood of consumers to accept biotechnology, Hoban says. However, the National Academy of Sciences concluded that the federal regulatory system for animal biotechnology is inadequate for most consumers.
"Regulations for cloned and genetically modified animals are not yet established, but the animals are knocking on the barn door," Hoban says. He adds that public policies must be based on greater appreciation for consumers' rights to feel secure about the food supply, which is tied to consumers' rights to know about any changes that may have taken place.
Research indicates that consumption of meat and dairy products will likely fall if people learn or suspect that animals have been cloned or modified in the process. The current trend away from animal-based products to soy-based products will likely accelerate, hurting most livestock producers, Hoban says.
Hoban also believes that American consumers will be much less accepting of all forms of biotechnology if they believe they have no choice about whether or not to consume meat or milk from cloned livestock. He adds that animal biotechnology must deliver clear benefits for everyone from the farm to the table, while avoiding unnecessary harm to animals.
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