Study: A Light Side to Bacon

A group of scientists, including a professor at Harvard Medical School, announced research last Wednesday that could lead to every fast-food addict’s dream: healthy bacon.

Researchers from the University of Missouri, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and Harvard Medical School say that they had successfully cloned five pigs implanted with a gene that caused them to produce Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.

The new research could mean that ham-lovers will be eating beneficial Omega-3s in addition to the cholesterol and saturated fats that are associated with pork.

Omega-3s are normally found in oily fish, such as salmon and tuna, but some concerns surround high mercury and lead levels in fish.

“People can continue to eat their junk food,” said Alexander Leaf, an emeritus professor of clinical medicine at Harvard. “You won’t have to change your diet, but you will be getting what you need.”

A number of obstacles remain before the research can move from the lab to the supermarket.

Scientists are still uncertain as to whether Omega-3s will have the same benefits when eaten in pork.

And Jing X. Kang, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and lead author of the study, said that the level of Omega-3s in the pigs is not as high as it is in fish, and that several years more research may be required to produce pigs with sufficient Omega-3 levels.

The project may also face opposition from consumer groups opposed to eating genetically modified pork. Thus far, the federal Food and Drug Administration has not approved cloned animals for consumption. It will be several years before healthier bacon appears on the market, according to Kang.

While other many animals have been cloned, none have been designed to produce Omega-3s.

Kang and his collaborative research group plan to expand the project to eventually include cows, fish, and chickens.

“As people realize the importance of Omega-3s, our product will easily be accepted since the nutrients themselves are naturally occurring,” explained Kang. The cloned pigs, Kang said, “don’t smell fishy.”