Clone-derived meat has entered food chain – FSA
The Food Standards Agency has confirmed that meat from the offspring of a cloned animal has entered the UK supply chain.
The agency has been investigating reports after claims that milk from the offspring of cloned bovines was sold for human consumption.
As part of this investigation, the agency has traced two bulls born in the UK from embryos harvested from a cloned cow in the US.
The first, Dundee Paratrooper, was born in December 2006 and was slaughtered in July 2009. The agency said meat from this animal entered the food chain and would have been eaten.
The second, Dundee Perfect, was born in March 2007 and was slaughtered on 27 July 2010. Meat from this animal has been stopped from entering the food chain.
The FSA has stressed there is no evidence that consuming products from healthy clones, or their offspring, poses a food safety risk.
However, meat and products from clones and their offspring are considered novel foods and should be authorised before being placed on the market.
The agency is continuing its work on tracing the offspring of clones claimed to produce milk for the UK dairy industry.
The penalty for failing to comply with the Novel Foods Regulations is a fine of up to £5000.
Read more on this story
• Watchdog leaves farmers crying over cloned milk• Cloning investigation finds second bull in food chain
• FW’s bid to bring balance to cloning debate
• Food watchdog: No risk from ‘cloned milk’
• Milk from cloned cow offspring ‘went down the drain’
• No risk from ‘cloned milk’, claims industry
• Milk from cloned cow’s offspring ‘on sale in Britain’