EFSA looking deeper into animal cloning

It has been reported that the European Food Safety Authority is unsure whether products produced using cloned animals are safe to eat, underlining uncertainties around the technology, its chief hinted.

It was anticipated that EFSA’s final opinion would be given in May, however, the date has now change to July, due to the number of scientific views given by EU states and industry in a consultation, reports the Guardian.

“We received lots of comments from more than 60 organisations,” said EFSA’s Executive Director Catherine Geslain-Laneelle, adding that most of the comments were about uncertainties, as well as animal health and welfare.

“We think it’s very important with such a new technology that we make clear the uncertainties in the scientific evidence,” Geslain-Laneelle said.

Many consumer and religious groups strongly oppose the technology, saying that welfare might be lakcingand that scientists don’t know its effects on nutrition and biology. However, advocates of livestock cloning say the technology will help produce more food (meat and milk) by creating more disease-resistant animals.