FDA finds that food from cloned animals is safe for consumption

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01541.html (summary)
http://www.fda.gov/cvm/CloneRiskAssessment.htm (full report)
Late last month, the FDA announced that meat and milk from cloned cows, pigs and goats and the offspring of those cloned animals are as safe for consumption as meat and milk from conventionally bred animals. This conclusion supports a National Academies of Sciences report released in 2002. Among the issues addressed in the full report is the idea that epigenetic reprogramming errors (errors associated with inappropriate gene expression and differentiation of cells during embryological development), which is thought to be responsible for the low success rates associated with cloning, can pose health risks if the animal is then used for food. The report concluded that although "live and apparently healthy clones can exhibit some level of epigenetic differences", "many of these differences appear to resolve as the animals age."

A subsequent Slate opinion article by William Saletan (http://www.slate.com/id/2156931/fr/flyout) analyzed the political opposition to cloned food and some concerns and benefits associated with the practice. Saletan argues that animals with major reprogramming errors that may affect the safety of its milk or meat will die of the resultant defects before they come of age and that cloned animals are not likely to be used for food or milk themselves. Saletan points out that the price tag for a clone is in the range of tens of thousands of dollars and therefore those clones are used for breeding rather than butchering or milking. The offspring of clones, which will be used for meat and milk, do not carry the same risk of reprogramming errors and are therefore safe to eat. The article also points out the potential for improving the efficiency of meat and milk production, which can have positive consequences for both the consumer and the environment.