October 21, 2010

European Commission to ban animal cloning for food

The European Commission (EC) Tuesday (Oct 19) proposed a ban on cloning animals for food production (including milk) for a minimum of five years.

However, the EC does not object to animals being cloned for research purposes or to conserve endangered species.

The report also suggests putting a veto on imports of meat, milk or other food from cattle obtained by this technology.

The EC will recommend that the ban be reviewed in five years time, but insists that it is essential under current legislation due to ethical concerns and animal welfare.

They cite findings by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which denote that the death rate among clones is much higher than that of sexually produced animals, and also suggests that in the case of cows or pigs, genetic selection causes illness and suffering.

However, they pointed out that the EFSA has said that meat or milk obtained from offspring of cloned animals presents no risk to consumer health.

The EC proposal must be approved by the Council of EU Ministers and the European Parliament (EP).

Some EU countries are already cloning animals, but only for research. There is currently no meat or milk from clones on the European market.

The US is the most advanced country in the world in terms of cloning technology, although Argentina, Brazil and Japan are also well advanced.