Why truLOCAL Doesn’t Use Cloned Meat (And Never Will)

As the food industry evolves, new technologies continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible - including the cloning of animals for meat production. While the idea of cloning may sound like something out of a sci-fi movie, it’s very real, and it’s raising big questions about the future of our food system.

At truLOCAL, we’re proud to say that we do not use cloned meat, and we have no plans to do so. Here’s why ... and why sticking to real, locally sourced meat matters more than ever.

What Is Cloned Meat?

Cloned meat comes from animals that are exact genetic copies of others. Scientists use cloning techniques to reproduce livestock with desirable traits such as faster growth, better feed conversion, or disease resistance to improve efficiency in the food system. While cloned animals themselves aren’t widely used for direct consumption, their offspring can enter the food chain.

Although cloning is approved in some regions, it remains controversial due to ethical, environmental, and health concerns - not to mention the impact it could have on small farmers and consumers who value traceable, local meat.

The Cons of Cloned Meat

There are several reasons why cloned meat raises red flags:

1. Ethical Concerns – The cloning process has a high failure rate, often resulting in suffering or death for animals during gestation or shortly after birth.
2. Lack of Long-Term Data – There’s still limited research on the long-term health and environmental impacts of cloning, both for animals and for humans who consume their meat.
3. Transparency Issues – Cloned meat is nearly impossible for consumers to distinguish from conventional meat. That means you could be buying it without even knowing.
4. Loss of Agricultural Diversity – Cloning reduces genetic diversity in livestock populations, which can make herds more vulnerable to disease and disrupt natural breeding cycles.
5. Consumer Trust – Some companies might see cloning as an opportunity to boost production or efficiency and could quietly introduce clone-derived meat into their supply chains without telling customers. But at truLOCAL, we would never risk the trust we’ve built over the past ten years with our community. Our customers choose us because they value honesty and transparency, and that’s something we’ll always protect.

Why truLOCAL Stays 100% Authentic

We built truLOCAL on a simple idea: people deserve to know where their food comes from.

That’s why we’ve partnered with trusted local farmers and producers who raise their animals the right way — no shortcuts, no factory farming, and definitely no cloning. Our relationships with our farmers mean you can trace every order back to real, local people who care about their animals, their land, and their community.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Full Traceability: Every cut of meat from truLOCAL can be traced back to where it was raised. We work closely with our farmers and suppliers.
• Local Sourcing: We support local Canadian farms so your meat doesn’t travel further than necessary before it reaches your plate.
• Transparency You Can Trust: We believe food should be simple, not secretive. You always know exactly what you’re getting.
• No Gimmicks, Just Real Food: We focus on quality, flavour, and integrity, not experimental technologies that treat meat like a manufactured product.

Common Questions About Cloned Meat in Canada

Even if you’re not a truLOCAL customer, cloned meat raises questions that many Canadians are asking. Here’s a quick guide:

Is cloned meat legal in Canada?

Health Canada has reviewed the science and proposed policy updates that would allow meat from cloned cattle and pigs (and their offspring) to be sold without special review or labelling. This shift has raised questions about transparency and consumer choice.

Can I tell if meat is cloned?

Currently, Canada does not require cloned meat to be labelled, so there’s no way to tell unless a company voluntarily discloses it. At truLOCAL, we always make our sourcing clear, and we are stating publicly that our products do NOT come from cloned animals.

Is cloned meat safe to eat?

Scientific assessments show that meat from healthy cloned animals is nutritionally similar to conventional meat. However, many consumers remain concerned about the lack of long-term data and the ethical issues involved.

Why do companies clone animals for food?

Cloning is mostly used to reproduce animals with desirable traits, such as faster growth or better meat quality, to make farming more efficient. Critics worry this focus on efficiency can come at the expense of animal welfare and biodiversity.

Does cloned meat affect animal welfare?

Cloning has a high failure rate, meaning many embryos or animals don’t survive. Even when successful, clones may face more health complications, raising questions about humane treatment.

Is cloned meat the same as lab-grown or cultivated meat?

Cloned meat comes from a real animal that’s been genetically duplicated, while lab-grown or cultivated meat is made by growing animal cells in a lab without raising or slaughtering animals. truLOCAL doesn’t sell anything containing cloned, lab-grown, or cultivated animals or meat.

Real Food, Raised Right

Cloning might promise efficiency, but it comes at the cost of trust, and that’s something truLOCAL will never compromise.

We’re proud to stand by our farmers, our communities, and our customers by keeping our food real, traceable, and responsibly raised. Because when it comes to what you feed your family, you deserve more than imitation.

truLOCAL — Real food. Real farmers. Real local.

Article by: Steven Tippin

Posted on November 20th, 2025