Use of Cloning and Transgenesis in Pigs

A brochure from the breeding company contains a countless number of animals from which to select breeding stock. A caption below one of the ‘genetic prototypes’ reads “just feed Tender-Gro 30 days prior to slaughter and we ‘guarantee’ that animals fed this product will produce the most tender meat possible for your local packer, money back guarantee.” Another caption reads, “feed Gro-Fast to those animals (males or females) destined for meat production and we guarantee faster weight gains and maximal returns when animals are sold on a grade and yield program.” Yet, another reads, this animal has been the top carcass animal “on the rail” for the last three years. Although the aforementioned seem somewhat futuristic in principle, or perhaps impossible in the case of the latter, recent developments in biotechnology and genetic engineering make all scenarios possible in the near term.