Cloned Foods and Milk Safe, says FDA

"It is beyond our imagination to even find a theory that would cause the food to be unsafe."

With that statement summarizing the science on the issue, Stephen Sundlof, the chief food-safety expert at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) threw down the gauntlet to activists who are sure to find it within their imaginations to denounce the FDA. It is abandoning its "voluntary" moratorium on food and milk from the offspring of cloned cows, pigs and goats and allowing them to go to market as safe for human consumption.

A clone, no matter how many bad science fiction movies you've seen, is merely an identical twin. They are created by in vitro fertilization in the same way as many other animals these days. You won't even be eating clones, by the way. Only the offspring of clones will be entered into the food chain for consumption. The food will not need any special labels that call attention to its origination in a cloned ancestor.

You're sure to hear endless debate about the subject in the future, so let's start out with the actual science.




The Washington Post ran Selected Excerpts from Animal Cloning: A Risk Assessment January 2008

Center for Veterinary Medicine
U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Conclusions Regarding Food Consumption Risks from Bovine Clones and their Progeny.

The simple summary is that the risks and problems are equivalent to those from any other form of breeding animals. (You might say that this is a reason not to eat animal-based foods, but that logic would also exclude plant material because of the known deaths from E. coli outbreaks in spinach and lettuce over the past year. And it would exclude raw milk because of similar problems.)

Here's the text for one item of specific interest: cloned milk:

Summary Statement on Composition of Milk from Clones

Several peer-reviewed studies describe the composition of milk from bovine clones. In addition to gross composition (percent solids, fat, protein, and lactose), some reports include a detailed analysis of fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, and in some cases, comparisons are made with previously published reference values for milk composition. These studies indicate that milk from cow clones is not significantly different in composition from milk from non-clones. Some minor differences have been identified in the composition of milk from clones compared to non-clones or reference values, but in each of these reports, the authors attribute the minor differences to diet, environmental conditions, small numbers of animals, and limited numbers of genotypes, rather than to cloning per se. None of these differences, however, indicate the presence of hazards that could pose food consumption risks, as they all fall within published historical values for milk. We therefore that milk derived from bovine clones does is not materially different from milk from milk from conventionally bred cattle.

For more information about the debate, the politics, and the sure-to-come reaction:

FDA to Back Food From Cloned Animals, by Rick Weiss, Washington Post Staff Writer.

Son of Frankenfood?, from The Economist magazine.

A cloned cheeseburger? Don't fire up the coals yet, by Jerry Hirsch, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer.

Even though it looks like the U.S. will be the first nation to give official approval, Europe may not be far behind. An article by Dominique Patton on FoodProductionDaily.com says that:

Meat and dairy products from cloned animals are probably safe for human consumption, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded in a draft opinion released on Friday.

"Based on current knowledge, there is no expectation that clones or their progeny would introduce any new food safety risks compared with conventionally bred animals," the preliminary report said.

It said that meat and milk obtained from healthy cattle and pig clones and their offspring are "within the normal range with respect to the composition and nutritional value of similar products obtained from conventionally bred animals".

New Dairy-Free Treats Stem from Scottish Science

NANDI Proteins is a food technology company that was created by the boffins at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

Nandi was the mother of Shaka, the Zulu King, famed as a warrior and for his famous victories, and immortalised in the film Zulu. Today Nandi translates as ‘something pleasant’.

They're doing remarkable things with protein modification. According to Scottish-Enterprise.com:

Nandi Proteins Ltd. specialises in natural modification of food proteins such as egg white, whey and soya protein. The products have improved functionality such as water binding and emulsifying properties in emulsions such as dairy cream and mayonnaise. This means that Nandi- products can be manufactured at low cost and can be utilised not only as fat replacements by the food industry, but also for the manufacture of innovative new products for the dairy-free and gluten-free markets. Key products:

1. Egg white powder with improved sensory and functional properties.

2. Whey protein powder with which is acid stable and has improved water binding.

3. Soy cheese fermented by lactic acid bacteria, with good sensory properties. Expertise in protein structure and functionality.

And in the major newspaper, The Scotsman, Jane Bradley reports that:

NANDI Proteins, a spin-out from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, has launched a new round of funding and is in discussions with a number of global food producers just months after clinching its first major deal with a Dutch dairy company.

Nandi earlier this year signed up with Friesland Foods to supply the Dutch firm with its protein technology in a deal which could be worth more than 2 million to the company in royalties.

The technology is used to add supplements to foods such as dairy free or low-fat products.

Neat stuff. The more firms that work to make better, tastier, and healthier non-dairy versions of milk products, the more choice there'll be for us.

Superfoods: Are You Being Taken Advantage Of?

Functional foods - foods that have been enhanced with nutrients or cultures that are supposed to promote health - are something I've written about extensively in the past.

They may be the next big thing in commercial foods - in fact, they almost certainly are. The real question is whether they are just expensive but worthless add-ons or a real boost to health.

Alex Renton of The Guardian's food section has an intriguing article on the subject, centered around talks he had with leading scientists and firms at the annual Food Technology and Innovation Forum in Dublin.

The rooms were filled with scientists and salespeople from GlaxoSmithKline, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, General Mills, Unilever, Tate & Lyle, Cadbury, Mars, Tesco, Kellogg's and Allied Bakeries - all of them companies planning to make greater profits out of an increasingly nervous public's health concerns. The irony is that, in many cases, it was these companies' products, sugar- and fat-laden, massively processed and brilliantly marketed, that started those health fears in the first place.

'It is not fair to say that these companies are driving the health scares for profit,' says [industry analyst Peter] Wennstorm, whose own organisation, Health Focus International, analyses consumers and health trends for clients like PepsiCo and Tetrapak. 'But they are certainly exploiting consumers' frustrations. "Eating for health" is the biggest growth area in this market - and companies here are looking forward to a world where 100 per cent of consumer food spending is focused on the belief that you can go to the supermarket and buy health and wellbeing.'

...

The consumer actually wants to buy health and beauty while remaining on the sofa: our lifestyle is less active than it has ever been. Also, the consumer is prepared to pay the same, or more, for less, in terms of energy. These conundrums are exciting a novelty-obsessed industry. That's why Coca-Cola, a company once famous for employing virtually no scientists but armies of marketing guys, is currently carrying out 20 clinical trials on new health beverages, targeting hydration, heart health, bone health and beauty.

And the marketing methods in More and Less products are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Danone, the first brand to specialise in dairy products sold entirely
on their health benefits, this year launched Essensis, a yoghurt drink with antioxidants and Vitamin E 'to nourish your skin from within'. Danone also owns Evian, another brand that's peddling the idea that you can drink yourself beautiful.

The entire article is quite long, but well worth the read.

Carbonated Yogurt?

Science has always progressed by surprises. Fleming discovered mold that prevented bacteria from growing, which led to penicillin. Geiger beamed alpha particles at atoms and when they started bouncing back that Rutherford called it "almost as incredible as if you had fired a 15 inch shell at a piece of tissue paper and it came back and hit you," thereby discovering the atomic nucleus.

Now we have Kaufman and carbonated fruit.



That too was a scientific accident according to Greg Bolitho's article on CNN.com

What has become a growing fad in the food industry began by accident 13 years ago when Galen Kaufman, a neurobiologist, bit into a pear aboard his boat off Galveston, Texas. The pear had been locked overnight in a cooler of dry ice. "The dry ice had become carbon dioxide gas and soaked into the pears," said Kaufman. "I realized this was an opportunity, maybe even a responsibility, to share this with the world."

The world hasn't had much of a chance to thank him yet, although Fizzy Fruit can be found in "15 southwestern Wal-Marts, Bi-Low stores in four states, and 7-11 outlets across Texas."

"We can now see carbonation as a new spice," said Kauffman. "[Carbon dioxide] jump-starts your taste buds and makes the flavor stronger. ... You get all the benefits of fresh fruit, with a little more fun."

Other carbonated food ideas are percolating, from "sparkling yogurt" to tongue-tingling seasonings meant to jazz up vegetables. All use complex carbonation processes but few complex additives. Health experts welcome innovations that encourage children, in particular, to consume more fruits and vegetables. "Whatever gets kids to eat more fruits and veggies I'm for," said consultant, dietitian and former USDA official Tracy Fox. "There are so many [unhealthy] things out there and such a great need."

And same with getting more calcium into kids, so if the carbonated yogurt idea takes off it may may regular yogurt, rather than the super-sweet sugar pastes now directed at kids, a better seller.