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. With Cheerios and cloned meat
So, what about this cloned-meat thing? Is it really going to happen? Clearly a lot of people are freaked out about it, even though the FDA says it’s okay. I assume the problem is twofold. First, nobody is all that impressed that a government agency says something is okay, because we’ve all seen enough problems with previously approved drugs and so on. Second, the FDA’s conclusion that clone meat doesn’t need to be labeled as such is just fishy.
The Times today quotes the owner of something called Prairie State Semen making the case of what’s in it for consumers:
“When you buy a box of Cheerios in New York and one in Champaign, Illinois, you know they are going to be the same. By shortening the genetic pool using clones, you can do a similar thing.
“It could improve the quality of meat in the supermarket.”
Okay, well, if it improves the quality, then why wouldn’t sellers of clone meat want it to be labeled as such? If it’s a benefit, then why hide it?
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Kim Fellner's book 
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Reader Comments
It all seems eerily close to Sweeney Todd territory.
I read the article and felt repulsion, though I can say quite why, since I do eat meat so what difference does it make, if it’s safe.. I wonder if they’ve done enough research to know that eating cloned meat will not somehow create diseases like mad cow.
oops — I mean’t I can’t say why I felt repulsion exactly.
Well, I can see it going either way on the question of “enough research.” But I think they should really let consumers decide, give all the facts on the package. I want to know, one way or the other, and make my own choice. I think that’s what’s most bothersome about this, is that it’s pretty clear they want to avoid any “transparency,” and that’s a good reason to be suspicious. In my opinion at least. ..