The first and largest batch of cloned milking cows are expected to
be born in northwest China's
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region next June, signaling the birth
of a new product to be added to the dairy market, according to Lu
Zili, head of the scientific institute of Xinjiang Gold Cow
Biological Co., Ltd.
Eighty Percent of Shanghai Citizens Say No to Cloned Food
Products
The news has caused some debate among ordinary citizens. According
to a survey of 20 Shanghai people, 80 percent of them said they
would never buy milk from cloned cows. The other 20 percent said
they will consider buying cloned food products only after they have
been convinced of the food's safety. In addition, the price of
cloned food products will certainly be a key factor. For most
citizens, cloned food products are the same as genetically modified
foods. They believe it is safer to stay away from such
controversial foods.
Scientist: Cloned Food Products Are Safe
According to Guo Lihe, head of the Cell Institute at the Chinese
Academy of Sciences, the nutrition and quality of milk from
cloned cows is exactly the same because cloning, a method of
asexual reproduction, can preserve a better gene matrix. Even if
some genetic freaks are caused by anomalies during the procedure
they will die young or be aborted during the middle stages of the
process. Those which eventually survive will constitute a superior
breed.
Guo also said cloned food products and the controversial
genetically modified foods are two different concepts. The cloning
of productive milking cows will not only raise the output of milk
but also improve the quality of China's livestock products.
Background
At
present, Xinjiang Gold Cow Biological Co., Ltd has successfully
transplanted 479 embryos of milking cows. The embryos of cloned
milking cows are all from two Holstein milking cows with an annual
milk output of 20 tons. It is reported that this experiment began
in July of this year under the instruction of Dr. Chan Hongwu and
his wife, experts from Australian company Clone International,
owners of the " Dolly sheep" patent.
Although 479 milk cows have been transplanted with the embryos of
productive milking cows, it doesn't mean all of them will be
successfully born next year. Lu Zili said the pregnancy rate of
cloned milking cows has reached a comparatively high level of 50
percent. However, the final survival rate of the cloned cows is
estimated to be only 10 percent due to the high rate of abortions.
Therefore, at least 50 high productive milking cows will be born
next June according to conservative estimates.
(china.org.cn translated by Wang Qian, November 20, 2002)