Cloned Meat, Milk Near Nod

The Food and Drug Administration is expected to clear the way for milk and meat from cloned animals to be sold in US supermarkets by declaring the products safe as early as next week, reports the Wall Street Journal. Cloning companies are poised to begin churning out animals once a voluntary hold on cloning is lifted, but there is widespread opposition to clones within the food industry.

"Most consumers do not find this appealing," said a spokesman for Dean Foods Co., one of the largest milk producers, which has vowed not to sell any milk from clones. Cloned animals, because of their high price, are likely to be used for breeding at first. Proponents say products from clones are indistinguishable from those from other animals.    (More cloning stories.)