FDA approves animal clones as food

After six years of study, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that meat and milk from cloned pigs, cattle and goats and their offspring is safe.

Lack of data meant the agency could not reach a decision on sheep products.

The FDA does not expect to see a lot of products from cloned animals being sold now, because of cost. It expects clones would first be used for breeding.

The agency released almost identical draft conclusions in December 2006. Since then, new scientific information has strengthened its central view.

The FDA will not require food derived from cloned animals to be labelled as such.

A survey in 2005 by the Pew Charitable Trusts found that two-thirds of US consumers were "uncomfortable" with animal cloning; nearly half believed food from clones would be unsafe to eat.

US authorities do not expect to see a wave of products derived from cloned animals on the shelves immediately.

 
Creating a clone is far more expensive than breeding animals conventionally. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) believes it is more likely that companies will produce clones with "desirable" traits, breed them, and bring products from the offspring into the food chain.