Genetically Modified Cows in China to Produce â Human’ Milk Scientists have successfully created a herd of more than 200 cows that is capable of producing milk that contains the characteristics of human milk. Details are a bit thin on this one, but my initial reaction to this is an overwhelming grossness: Researchers in China have genetically modified some 200 cows so that the milk they produce is similar to human milk.   The director of the State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology at China Agricultural University says, The scientists have successfully created a herd of more than 200 cows that is capable of producing milk that contains the characteristics of human milk. The milk tastes stronger than [cow or goat] milk. Within ten years, people will be able to pick up these human milk-like products at the supermarket €¦ [the] healthy protein contained in human milk [will be] affordable for ordinary consumers. Im nearly at a loss for words€¦ A Times of India article points out that when children drink human milk it helps improve their immune systems and central nervous systems. Indeed, breast feeding has been shown to have many benefits for children. However, why anyone other than children would benefit from drinking human milk, in so much as they would benefit more than getting the same nutrients from non-creepily-genetically-modified animal sources, escapes me entirely. If factory farmed dairy werent bad enough, now someone really thought it was a good idea to genetically modify the cows to produce a substance similar to something that humans already produce naturally. I suppose if you accept that factory farming is not a bad thing youd be OK with this. Via Treehugger Share ThisSubscribedel.icio.usFacebookRedditStumbleUponTechnorati