Omega-3 Pigs
Yesterday's NPR and today's New York Times has this piece of news that some medical researchers claim they have successfully created cloned pigs that contain their own Omega-3 fatty acids, a chemical typically found in fish, that potentially reduces the risk of heart diseases. The catch is that now you can stay healthy even though you eat junk food such as bacon. I am no expert in the field of medical research, but I do have a few instincts to share as to why I think this research could be a waste of time. Here are a few things to think about:
First, even though there is a negative association between Omega-3 and occurrence of heart diseases, no solid medical research has established the causal relationship between consumption of Omege-3 and reduced risk of heart disease. It could very well be a third factor that is somehow linked to Omega-3 and yet the cause of reducing heart disease. I can think about a few at the top of my head. For example, life style – people who have healthier life style tend to eat fish and exercise at the same time; they end up with more Omega-3 and healthier hearts. Cloning pigs that have Omega-3 but missing the quintessential ingredient will not do anything to reduce heart problems.
Second, apart from taste preferences, people who do not eat enough fish and get Omega-3 needed for their bodies may simply be price conscious, i.e., fish is too expensive for them. The new cloned pigs, although rich in Omega-3, will be expensive, I assure you. Medical R&D is costly and fixed cost of R&D will have to be reflected in the sale price of bettered pork products. If price is a driving factor of people not consuming fish right now, there is no guarantee that the new pork products will sell well.
Third, it is far into the future that the cloned pigs will actually enter our food chain. The cloned pigs will have to go through the approval of FDA, which is years of waiting really. In the meantime, many downside risks can pop out. For example, people will move towards healthier lifestyle and put fish on their weekly dinner table; new studies will disconnect Omega-3 with heart disease prevention… lots of side tracks ahead.
It is great that researchers are providing our society with so much diversity and catering to the tastes of different people, but my question is: before spending millions on this project and getting entangled with bureaucracy, is the market large enough to support such products?
First, even though there is a negative association between Omega-3 and occurrence of heart diseases, no solid medical research has established the causal relationship between consumption of Omege-3 and reduced risk of heart disease. It could very well be a third factor that is somehow linked to Omega-3 and yet the cause of reducing heart disease. I can think about a few at the top of my head. For example, life style – people who have healthier life style tend to eat fish and exercise at the same time; they end up with more Omega-3 and healthier hearts. Cloning pigs that have Omega-3 but missing the quintessential ingredient will not do anything to reduce heart problems.
Second, apart from taste preferences, people who do not eat enough fish and get Omega-3 needed for their bodies may simply be price conscious, i.e., fish is too expensive for them. The new cloned pigs, although rich in Omega-3, will be expensive, I assure you. Medical R&D is costly and fixed cost of R&D will have to be reflected in the sale price of bettered pork products. If price is a driving factor of people not consuming fish right now, there is no guarantee that the new pork products will sell well.
Third, it is far into the future that the cloned pigs will actually enter our food chain. The cloned pigs will have to go through the approval of FDA, which is years of waiting really. In the meantime, many downside risks can pop out. For example, people will move towards healthier lifestyle and put fish on their weekly dinner table; new studies will disconnect Omega-3 with heart disease prevention… lots of side tracks ahead.
It is great that researchers are providing our society with so much diversity and catering to the tastes of different people, but my question is: before spending millions on this project and getting entangled with bureaucracy, is the market large enough to support such products?
posted by Kishuki | 9:01 PM
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