Identigen to track cloned animal products
If meat products from cloned animals are headed to market, a Lawrence-based company will be able to track them. Enlarge video
Now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it's perfectly healthy for Americans to eat meat and drink milk from cloned animals and such animals' offspring, leaders at a Lawrence company are waiting to see whether consumers - and the companies who feed them - buy into the notion.
Identigen North America Inc., 4824 Quail Crest Place, uses DNA technology to trace the identity of meat products from source to shelves. The company markets its TraceBack products to producers and retailers interested in verifying claims that can add value to their products, such as those classified as range-fed, organic or otherwise.
Now, Identigen could track clones, too.
"The issue of cloned animals is just another example of how complex the supply chain is becoming," said Don Marvin, president and CEO of Identigen North America, in an e-mail from Dublin, Ireland, home of the firm's parent company. "Producers, processors and retailers are looking for tools to manage this complexity and to communicate to consumers.
"Identigen's DNA TraceBack system offers some important tools like traceability and verification, which can certainly be applied in the case of clones if there is a demand for it. In short, DNA TraceBack helps align the value chain between the producer and the consumer, and cloning is just another facet of this very complex chain."
In June, Identigen opened the headquarters for its North American operations in Lawrence, and the company now has 50 employees working in Ireland, Lawrence and a satellite office in Denver, a city that is home to the National Cattleman's Association and other potential customers.
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grubesteak (anonymous) says…
Gross.
TheBurf (anonymous) says…
I can't wait to see this. Hippies and evangelicals on the same side. The world is going to come to an end.
kawryan (anonymous) says…
Save the cloning for the plant kingdom.
lounger (anonymous) says…
Yuck! The f.d.a is a joke!! Organic- why YES. Frankenfood-NEVER!!!
tufoak (anonymous) says…
do any of u even know why they clone..... the better genitics the better quailty food.... clone the best u get the best.....
seriouscat (anonymous) says…
There is so much wrong with this I don't even know where to start. The FDA is a joke and is the main focus of the agency over the last 15 years has been to approve! approve! approve!
Cloning and genetic engineering is NOT the clean, precise technology that the food production branch of the biotech industry wants us all to believe.
People who sit on the board of the FDA are the same people who run the companies that are pushing these unneeded and unwanted products to consumers all over the world!
Par for the course in these United States. Sigh.
blakus (anonymous) says…
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.... as I said in a previous post, this is the beginning of the end for our somewhat safe food sources. Do you realize that genetic variation prevents species from becoming extinct when, let's say, a disasterous virus/bacteria attacks that species (I suppose that is why we pack our livestock full of antibiotics/hormones).
This benefits absolutely no one but big business due to increase productivity of genetically manipulated livestock.
It will in no way lower the price of meats b/c rapidly increasing transportation costs will offset any decrease in production costs.
Genetic variation is beautiful. It allows us to have, for example, beef from Great Britain that tastes and looks different than beef from Kansas. Why would anyone want to destroy that?? Oh I know why.... so more money can be made at the expense of the consumer.
Oh I love Corporate Capitalism.
lounger (anonymous) says…
tufoak- When you grow horns out of your skull you might have a more realistic approach to what they are doing to our food. Im guessing you have no problem with taking a handfull of pills either???