Imports of cloned meat 'may still be in UK shops'

Yesterday, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said meat from three descendants of a cloned cow had entered the food chain, and some had been sold by a butcher in "north-east England".

But the FSA's attempt to draw a line under the issue was overshadowed by an admission from Defra that imports could be coming in from animals with cloned parentage.

Last week the FSA said concern over cloned genetics meant meat and milk from clone descendants, and even their descendants, required a special licence under European rules covering "novel foods".

But the European Commission has always advised that only clones would be classed as "novel foods" and their offspring would not be included.

That remains the position in most EU member states, although MEPs have voted for a tougher rule and a review is in progress.

This could mean meat and milk for sale in this country could be from the offspring of cloned animals.

Jim McLaren, president of National Farmers Union of Scotland, said: "The European interpretation of the rule is the same as the USA's and is the sensible way to go. There are some ethical and animal welfare concerns over first-generation cloning but there are absolutely no food safety concerns over clones or progeny of clones and no prospect of there ever being any.

"The UK version of the law is ridiculous and unenforceable. The silence of the big retailers on this issue has been notable. Nobody can say that food from the rest of Europe, let alone South America, where they are even keener on cloning than the USA, is not from the kind of animal the FSA has been pursuing. I can assure you, they have not got a clue."

The FSA said it had traced eight animals born in the UK from embryos taken from a cloned Holstein cow in the US and then fertilised with bull semen.

A male calf of less than a month old was slaughtered on June 16 and the meat sold in a London butcher's shop.

It said the meat and that from two other animals had entered the food chain without authorisation but stressed there was no evidence of a safety risk.

Meat from one animal Dundee Paratrooper, slaughtered in 2009, was sold at four butchers' shops in Scotland and a single butcher's shop in north-east England.

Meat from the second animal, Parable, which was slaughtered on May 5, was sent to Belgium.

The agency said it had not yet decided if it would reveal the identities of those involved in the investigation. It also refused to say if its definition of north-east England included Yorkshire.

It added: "While there is no evidence that consuming products from healthy clones, or their offspring, poses a food safety risk, meat and products from clones and their offspring are considered novel foods and would therefore need to be authorised before being placed on the market."

A spokeswoman said that, providing no new information emerged, the investigation had been completed.

Kim Haywood, director of the National Beef Association, said: "The fuss is ridiculous but as the FSA appears to be on its way to stamping out any meat with any clone in it, I hope it will agree that the best advice for any customer concerned about it is to buy British from now on."

Search for clarity on complex issue for farmers

Last week, the Food Standards Agency said it could not comment on questions about imports while its investigation was continuing. Yesterday, it said imports were a matter for Defra.

Defra said: "EU and domestic rules on import certification and animal identification and tracing are designed to protect public and animal health and to prevent the spread of disease. Since there is no suggestion that cloning creates a threat to public or animal health, it is not straightforward to see how these rules could easily be adapted to require identification of clones.

"We are working with the FSA to learn the lessons of this incident, including whether we need to improve advice and support to farmers in a complex area of regulation. Ministers will also press for greater clarity across Europe on this issue, particularly on the question of how many generations of progeny are covered by the regulations."

In its statement, it also admitted there might be more clone descendants left to find in this country, because the cattle registration agency only requires the name of the cow which actually gave birth.