NFU head of food and farming, Kevin Pearce, said this morning: “Consumers should know that there are no cloned animals in the UK and that the European Food Safety Authority confirms that there are no food safety risks posed by the products of offspring from cloned animals.
“The NFU believes that any developments in this area need to be informed by balanced, scientifically based research and assessment, which is why we say it’s important to keep the door open on this type of technology.
“However, public confidence is the NFU’s, and our farmer members’, absolute priority. We have invested a lot of time and money in our farm assurance schemes and our traceability systems, which are the best in the world.
“They are closely monitored by government authorities, including the Food Standards Agency. Every cow in the UK has an individual identification number and passport that accompanies it throughout its life. It cannot enter the food chain without one. UK farmers are the primary producers of the majority of food sold in the UK and there’s no point in us producing anything that consumers in this country don’t want.
“What we need to have is clarity on this issue. We know that cloning of farmed animals is banned in the UK and we know that products from cloned animals are banned in the UK. However, all of us (consumers and farmers) need to have a clearer understanding of the rules covering the use or non-use of products from the offspring of cloned animals.”
The NFU is meeting the FSA to establish whether or not we need to do more to ensure that farmers who own the progeny of cloned animals are aware of the rules covering these animals and the products of these animals.
Source: National Farmers Union
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