Cloned meat and milk are not safety risks, say scientists
Cloned meat in British supermarkets came a step closer today as government scientists said it posed "no greater safety risk" than conventional food.
The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes said there was no substantial difference between meat and milk from cloned animals and produce from conventional livestock.
The ruling was in line with a number of other scientific assessments. But it warned: "Evidence on the composition of meat and milk is relatively limited, further evidence is required on how the rearing of animals in different environments may affect the meat and milk."
The Food Standards Agency will examine its conclusions next month before advising ministers.
FSA chief scientist Andrew Wadge said: "The advisory committee confirmed that meat and milk from cloned cattle and their offspring is unlikely to present a food safety risk."
In the US, South America and Asia, farmers can breed from cloned cows, sheep and pigs to boost milk and meat production. But farmers in Europe who want to introduce produce from cloned animals need specific authorisation.
The European Commission is proposing to ban cloned meat and milk. The FSA board will discuss this next month, with the outcome influencing Britain's negotiations on the issue in Europe.
A spokeswoman from the Soil Association, which promotes environmentally friendly food and farming, said: "There are many unanswered questions on the issue of cloning animals — both ethical and practical — and insufficient regulation.
"Not only does cloning have a negative impact on animal welfare, we also have no long-term evidence for the impacts on health."
Three cases have emerged of meat linked to a cloned cow being sold in the UK. Two involved bulls in the Highlands grown from embryos of a cow cloned in the US. The third involved meat from a calf being sent to a London butcher. The FSA said it was the offspring of one of eight animals born in Britain from embryos of the US clone.
