Milliet J. & Brisebarre A.-M. 2010. — Entre sécurité alimentaire, éthique et peur : premiers jalons d'une recherche anthropologique sur la viande issue d'animaux clonés. Anthropozoologica 45(1): 185-198.

Between food safety, ethics and fear: foundation for Anthropological Research on meat from cloned animals

In March 2007 the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the innocuousness of cloned animal meat, as well as from its offspring. Thus, concerning the possible utilization of cloned animal meat in human consumption, the Commission of Brussels had requested the advice of the Commission de Brussels of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and of the European Group on ethics in sciences and new technologies in the European commission (EGE). In January 2008, the press reported the “discomfort” felt by Brussels in aligning itself practically with the American position, at the same time as EGE did not see any justification in “the production of food from cloned animals and their offspring”, emphasizing “the suffering caused to pregnant animals and to cloned animals”. A Eurobarometer survey was launched to collect the opinion of consumers from twenty seven European countries, with results published in October 2008.

For this research, we have used articles, reports and the advice of experts and specialists (veterinarians, breeders, etc.), and the results of the Eurobarometer survey. We have also followed the debates and reactions generated by the eventuality of the production and the marketing of this “new meat”, as well as the very question of its acceptability by European consumers.