The WSJ reports that after more than 6ys of wrestling with the question of whether meat and milk from cloned animals are safe to eat, the FDA is expected to declare as early as next week that they are. The FDA had asked producers of cloned livestock not to sell food products from such animals pending its ruling on their safety. It isn't clear whether the FDA will lift this voluntary hold. While many consumer groups still oppose it, the FDA declaration that cloned animal products are safe would be a milestone for a small cadre of biotech co’s that want to make a business out of producing copies of prize dairy cows and other farm animals, effectively taking the selective breeding practiced on farms for centuries to the cutting edge. B/c of the price tag, cloned cattle cost $15-20K per copy, most of the cloned animals will be used for breeding, and it will be 3-5ys before consumers see milk and meat from their offspring. Dean Foods (DF) and Whole Foods Market (WFMI) say they won't sell any milk from cloned animals. The meat industry is more bullish on cloned products than the dairy industry – Smithfield Foods (SFD), Hormel Foods (HRL). Tyson Foods (TSN) says the co "currently has no plans to purchase cloned livestock.

According to the WSJ, Meraki plans to offer free high-speed wireless Internet access throughout San Francisco this yr, betting that low-cost technology and help from users will bring success. The start-up says the free San Francisco wireless project is a test of technology it has developed for building low-cost, large-scale networks, generating some revenue from small ads viewed by users. Meraki last summer began offering free-WiFi Internet access to residents of a roughly 2-sq-mile swath of San Francisco and says it currently has 40K users. Ambitious plans for private-public partnerships to create such networks have fizzled in some cities over the past yr, partly b/c of EarthLink’s (ELNK) decision to retrench in cities, including San Francisco. Meraki's approach is to use lower-cost equipment and rely on consumer volunteers who install small Meraki boxes in their homes that help spread the wireless Internet signal. The gear, which Meraki provides free to San Francisco residents who contact it, can be attached to a window with suction cups and helps extend the distance the wireless Internet signal can travel. Meraki itself plans to install a few dozen wireless gateways connected to the Internet and hundreds of solar-powered repeaters on San Francisco rooftops to also help spread the signal. It hopes every San Francisco home will be able to access Meraki's service by the end of 2008.

“Heard on the Street” column discusses Marsh & McLennan (MMC), saying that some day the long-running drama at the co may reach its happy ending.