It would appear so.Academics say they have created what sounds like a nutritional holy grail: cloned pigs that make their own omega-3 fatty acids, potentially leading to bacon and pork chops that might help your heart.
Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to a lowered incidence of heart disease, are primarily found in fish. No one knows whether they would have the same effect if eaten in pork.
Government approval for such genetically modified foods is certain to face strong opposition from some consumer groups. Some already object to feeding farm animals genetically modified grain. The legal director for the non-profit group Centre for Food Safety, Joseph Mendelson, said genetically modifying the animals themselves and cloning them would be "a double whammy. I am confident that consumers would not want them."
But many scientists say the findings, published online by the journal Nature Biotechnology, are an important forerunner of things to come.
An emeritus professor of clinical medicine at Harvard University, Alexander Leaf, said he was confident that foods modified with omega-3s would eventually reach consumers, who would be all the better for it.
"People can continue to eat their junk food," he said. "You won't have to change your diet, but you will be getting what you need."
For years, people have been urged to eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. But fish can be expensive and is not to everyone's taste. That led a group of scientists from Harvard Medical School, the University of Missouri and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre to think of modifying pigs.
However, please eliminate any fishy aftertaste. MMMMMM, omega 3 enriched pork rinds. Pulled Pork BBQ, my o my, eating junk will be healthy. I love it. However, if it is enhanced with estrogen, no thanks. There is anecdotal evidence to show that the estrogen enhanced beef we have been eating for a couple of decades is changing the emotional makeup of males in America.
