Collapse of cloned meat and milk talks
Milk and meat from the offspring of cloned animals could soon hit supermarket shelves after attempt to impose controls through EU regulation failed.
Campaigners for new controls were defeated after talks between the 27 EU states and the European Parliament failed to agree a law to manage the industry.
The failure to toughen legislation means that so-called ‘Frankenfoods’ could be on sale in Europe within months, subject to approval.
The EU imports 300,000 to 500,000 tonnes of beef every year. Much of it comes from the United States and Argentina, which authorise cloning for commercial purposes but have no system to trace clone-derived meat.
It is estimated that it could now take several years for the EU to come up with a new proposal on the controversial food, with the breakdown effectively leaving in place 14-year-old rules that do not prevent the sale of food from clones.
“It is deeply frustrating that council would not listen to public opinion and support urgently needed measures to protect consumer and animal welfare interests,” MEPs backing new controls said in a statement.
