Would You Know A Clone?
More importantly: Wouldn't you want to?
This news really tees me off: Meat from cloned animals won't be labeled clearly as such.
Shoppers who want to be sure they're not getting cloned meat will have to look for the green labels indicating organic standards on meat in stores. The FDA says the government can't tell a difference between clones and conventional cows, pigs, or goats.
As for ordering in restaurants, who knows?
Thing is, truly organic meats (as opposed to naturally raised meats) are very expensive. Bill Niman, founder of the Niman Ranch Cooperative, told me that raising organic livestock is often prohibitively expensive and difficult for today's farmers, meaning the small amount of organic meat on the market comes at a high premium.
The AP article I linked to doesn't say whether or not naturally raised meats will be guaranteed not to contain cloned meat or milk products. Given the muddling of organic and naturally raised standards now that big retailers like Wal Mart, Target, and Costco are offering them, I don't trust the system so much anymore.
Disturbing thought of the day: Will the average quick-serve hamburger soon contain cloned beef? I hope not. We're just back from a yummy late lunch at Five Guys. We don't go out for burgers often—that's one thing TWH and I can cook really well—but I'd hate to think that all restaurant burgers might one day be off our menu. Cloned and genetically engineered stuff are not something I want my little Quicksie eating.
A much brighter thought: Will the next quick-serve beef craze, after Angus beef, be naturally raised meat? Let's hope so. Homemade burgers are the best, but once in a while I'd like for someone else to do the work. :)
What do you think? Is cloned meat something to worry about? I'm not asking about the technology, because it's out there—and it can have plenty of good uses, such as in health care. But would you want to eat it? Feed it to your family?
[photo from here]
