Cloned meat may be safe, but will consumers eat it?

By Bob Burgdorfer - Analysis

CHICAGO (Reuters) - While cloning of meat-producing animals was deemed safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday, it may be consumers who determine how widely it is used.

"The big issue is consumer acceptance. Even if USDA and FDA issue a statement, the final arbiter, whether it will be allowed in the market, is consumer acceptance," said Jacinto Fabiosa, co-director and livestock analyst at the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Center in Ames, Iowa.

Cloning has been around for years -- Dolly the cloned sheep was born in 1996 -- but the FDA's latest action now brings the technology close to the food supply.

"The consumer reaction and the effect on exports markets - is the primary concern," said Mark Boggess, director of animal science for the National Pork Board.

Consumers in the United States may be more accepting than those overseas. One example used was the opposition in Europe to crops that have been genetically modified (GMO) to protect against weeds or insects.

"I don't think is as likely to be as significant as the GMO stuff has been, but it is real hard to figure out where consumers' reactions are going," said John Urbanchuk, a food economist with the global consulting firm LECG.

Concerns of overseas consumers is an issue, because meat exports are important to the U.S. meat industry, with about 6 percent of U.S. beef exported and 16 percent of the pork.

"The only time it becomes really significant is if you get an interest group opposing it and I don't really see one emerging in the cloned area," said Urbanchuk.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest on Tuesday said just because technology says cloning is safe "doesn't mean that as a society there is reason to embrace it."

"I think there will be 1 percent of the people that will care and 99 percent won't care and the 1 percent will make a bunch of noise. But in the long run I don't think it will make a lot of difference," said Len Steiner, an owner of the food consulting firm Steiner Consulting Group.

MEAT COMPANIES CURRENTLY AVOID CLONED ANIMALS

Tyson Foods Inc, the largest U.S. meat company, said on Tuesday it "has no plans to purchase cloned livestock" and its futures actions will be guided by government regulations and by it customers and consumers.

Smithfield Foods Inc, the giant U.S. pork producer, also said will not be process cloned animals.

"The science involved in cloning animals is relatively new. As thoughtful leaders in our industry, we will continue to monitor further scientific research on this technology," Smithfield said in a statement.

USDA also wants to wait before serving cloned meat and milk, and has asked firms that produce clones to hold off bringing them into the food supply.