Animals engineered for leaner meat

Status: No livestock engineered for leaner meat is currently near commercialization. Research done early in the 1980s to genetically engineer leaner pigs failed because of unacceptable side effects, including low fertility, arthritis and impaired immune systems. Some low level of research activity may still be underway.

Animals engineered as drug-production facilities

Status: Goats and sheep have been engineered to secrete bioactive molecules into their blood, urine, or milk. Companies are in the process of developing commercial enterprises based on these animals. So far, none of the drugs is on the market. It is likely that producers will want to slaughter the animals for food after they are no longer useful for drug production.

Animals engineered as sources of transplant organs

Status: Commercial entities are engineering pigs so that their organs will not be rejected by human transplant recipients. So far, the organs are not commercially available. It is likely that producers will want to use the carcasses of donor pigs as food.

Animals engineered for disease resistance

Status: Chickens and turkeys have been engineered to resist avian diseases. None have been commercialized.

– Information gathered by Anna Holland from http://www.ucsusa.org/food/gen.uses.html