LUXEMBOURG—European Union Agriculture Council left open the door of cloned animal products being sold by instituting a set of new rules for the cloned products, included in the category of "novel foods.”
As reported by EUBusiness, the EU nations want "novel foods to be authorized only if they do not present a danger for consumers, do not mislead them and are not nutritionally disadvantageous for them."
The rules include a strict and uniform procedure for cloned animal products throughout the EU, with centralized authorization including risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and approval by the European Commission. The agreed text extends to the first generation offspring of cloned animals, which are not currently subject to special regulation.
In a voice of opposition, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements EU Group (IFOAM EU Group) criticized the agreement saying the ruling was not only cynical regarding consumers demand for clone-free-meat, but also ethically questionable, threatens animal welfare and puts in consequence global food security at risk.
“There is no need for meat from cloned animals on the European market, hence the Council’s agreement is a provocation for EU citizens who are clearly against any cloning technologies. There is scientific evidence that cloning causes pain and suffering to animals and negative consequences to their health. These technologies are highly controversial and therefore it is not understandable that the Agriculture Council agreed on the possibility to allow meat from cloned animals,” said Thomas Fertl, vice president of the IFOAM EU Group.