Cloned Cows Cause Concern

Farmers Wary As FDA Mulls Lifting Ban On Food From Cloned Animals

(AP) 
The Humane Society of the United States urged the FDA to keep the ban in place. In a letter June 28, President Wayne Pacelle wrote that cloning "carries too high a cost with regard to animal suffering, yet offers little benefit to humans and animals alike."

Greg Wiles, a dairy farmer in Hagerstown, Maryland, has made two clones from a prolific Holstein. One is healthy, but the other suffers from health problems that Wiles declined to specify.

"I have said the FDA is more than welcome to get any blood or tissue samples," Wiles said. "I think it needs to be looked into."

Wiles said he often thinks about disregarding the ban and selling the milk, which he now pours down the drain. "I think the FDA has taken too long to determine if it's safe or not," he said.

The FDA declined an interview request for this story, saying in a statement that it would be "premature to discuss our findings or to make any final determinations due to the complexity of the issue." It added that the agency does not have a timeframe for a final decision.

One of the cutting-edge animal cloning companies, Infigen of DeForest, Wisconsin, ceased operations last year while waiting for the FDA to issue such a decision.

At the time, Infigen blamed delays in federal grants and funding cutbacks by a partner. But the company's co-founder and president, Michael Bishop, said the FDA delay was a fatal blow.

"It's hard to find people who want to do business with you when a government agency could possibly regulate against the food products entering the food chain," Bishop said. He predicted that cloning will never become viable for commercial livestock.