K-State ag economist says despite FDA ruling, 'appreciable quantities' of cloned meat, milk still years away from hitting supermarkets

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Source: Sean Fox, 785-532-4446, jafox@k-state.edu
http://www.mediarelations.k-state.edu/WEB/News/MediaGuide/foxbio.html
News release prepared by: Keener A. Tippin II, 785-532-6415, media@k-state.edu

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

K-STATE AG ECONOMIST SAYS DESPITE FDA RULING, 'APPRECIABLE QUANTITIES' OF CLONED MEAT, MILK STILL YEARS AWAY FROM HITTING SUPERMARKETS

MANHATTAN -- If beef is what's for dinner, perhaps the next decision consumers will be faced with is what kind of beef it will be: cloned or regular?

Ten years after the birth of the world's first cloned animal, the United States is on the cusp of becoming the first nation to introduce meat and milk from cloned cattle into the food supply. The Food and Drug Administration recently ruled it saw no difference between conventionally raised farm animals and clones, and that both were equally safe to eat.

However, a Kansas State University agricultural economist thinks it will be awhile before cloned meat and milk are made available to consumers.

Sean Fox, a K-State professor of agricultural economics, has conducted numerous studies to determine how consumers react to food safety risks and how much they are willing to pay for safer food. His other research interests include consumer response to irradiated meat and genetically modified food, and the impact of mad cow disease on the U.S. beef industry.

"We're probably still several years away from seeing any appreciable quantities of meat and milk from cloned animals in the food chain," Fox said. "Cloning appears to be expensive and thus will be used, at least initially, only for purebred breeding stock, such as to replicate a prize bull."

If cloned meat and milk do eventually reach local supermarkets, Fox said two major issues will need to be addressed: Will it be labeled as such and will consumers purchase it.

Fox said no decision has been made by the government yet on if food from cloned animals would have to be labeled.

"My guess is that since the conclusion seems to be that it's no different from food from regular animals, that food from cloned animals won't require labeling," he said. "That was the approach taken with genetic modification of other foods."

Fox said one early study, conducted at the University of Maryland, indicates consumers appear to be somewhat wary of the idea of cloning and eating food from cloned animals. An estimated two-thirds of the more than 1,000 adults surveyed admitted that they were uncomfortable with the idea of using cloning to reproduce animals. One-third said they would not purchase meat or milk from cloned animals.

Fox, however, expects that this estimate substantially overestimates the number of consumers who would actually refuse to buy or pay significantly more for meat guaranteed not to come from cloned animals.