Food from Cloned Animals
In June the Agriculture Ministers of the members of the European Union agreed to the draft rule to include food from cloned animals in the proposed legislation for Novel Foods.
The draft legislation will require that all assessment and approval for Novel Foods, including any food from cloned animals, for any member country will need to be done by the European Food Safety Authority. This will include an extension to the scope for any food from the first generation off spring from cloned animals.
The legislators believe that by specifically including food from cloned animals, it will for the first time formalise this area as well as regulate and monitor the use of this food source. Prior to this legislation, food from cloned animals was implied and assumed to be a novel food, but was not formally stated as such.
The statement from the European Council reinforced that novel foods should only be authorised if they did not “present a danger for consumers, do not mislead them and are not nutritionally disadvantageous for them”. A novel food is considered by the EU as those not used for human consumption to a significant degree within the EC before 15 May 1997.
The Council has been strongly criticised for approving the rule to use food from cloned animals as pert of the new legislation. It is seen by many as unacceptable, and UK Green MEP (Member of European Parliament) Caroline Lucas labelled the move as a “a potential stepping stone towards legislation to authorise such products” and said the approval “flies in the face of consumer concerns and a European Parliament vote in favour of an outright ban”. “It is deeply worrying that EU governments are keeping options open regarding the possible sale of meat from cloned animals on the European market.”
She said cloning was an “incredibly wasteful way of producing food, requiring the loss of many animal lives just to produce one successful clone”, adding that those which survived suffered high rates of illness and premature death.
“A green light to produce food from cloned animals would ultimately lead to a reduction in breed and genetic varieties of livestock, which have already become restricted through current practices. Such variety offers an essential safeguard against epidemics and food scares,” she added.
“In upcoming negotiations, the European Parliament must stand firm in calling for a ban on meat from cloned animals. Animal welfare, food safety, consumer confidence and the future direction of agriculture are at stake.”
The draft legislation will now go before the European Parliament for the second reading. It has already passed a motion banning food from cloned animals. After this reading, the legislation is expected to go back to the Council for further review.