EC nod for clone offspring's milk and meat

A SCOTS farmer is free to sell meat and milk from the offspring of his cloned bulls, according to a European Commission official.

• The FSA insists that milk from the Innes farm's Holsteins bred from a cloned bull cannot be sold while it investigates Picture: PA

Steven Innes, who with his father Callum manages a 1,400-strong herd of Holstein dairy cows at Drumduan Farm, near Nairn, has been at the centre of a cloning debate.

The Inneses produced 96 cows from two cloned bulls. The Food Standards Agency claimed earlier this month that any meat or dairy products from the offspring of cloned cattle could only be sold if specially licensed and scientifically assessed.

But yesterday Frederic Vincent, spokesman for EC health and consumer affairs commission John Dalli, said produce from the offspring of cloned animals was considered conventional foods and so no specific measure was applicable.

He added: "The EU regulation on novel foods establishes that only foods derived from cloned animals need a pre-market authorisation and that products from offspring are not novel foods as offspring are produced through traditional breeding techniques."

The Inneses are the subject of an investigation by the FSA, after one of the bulls was slaughtered in 2009 and its meat sold. A second bull from the same farm was to be sold for meat as well until the FSA intervened.

The agency said although products from the progeny of cloned animals were safe, the farmers should have complied with regulations governing the sale of the "novel" meat. They could face prosecution and a fine of up to 5,000.

The 96 cows are one to three years old and have yet to produce milk, but the FSA says any milk will not be allowed to be sold while it investigates possible regulatory breaches.

The Inneses insisted they did nothing wrong and followed all food and animal traceability regulations.

Steven Innes welcomed Mr Vincent's comments. He said: "That is what we have said from the start. We will just wait to see what happens now."

He was backed by Jim McLaren, president of the National Farmers Union Scotland, who said: "Anywhere else in Europe the regulations apply only to the cloned animal itself, the first generation. Although it's legal for its meat and milk to enter the food chain it is subject to a novel food licence.

"In Europe no one has ever applied to put a first-generation animal into the food chain."

He added: "In this case, the UK needs to align themselves with the rest of Europe. The regulation has been written in black and white, the FSA has just chosen to interpret it in a different way from anyone else.

"I don't think Mr Innes will be prosecuted, as he has not breached any European law."

An FSA spokeswoman said: "In order to ensure consistency across member states, the issue of cloning needs to be discussed and agreed at a European level.

"The European Commission has not yet put this issue on the agenda of a standing committee meeting; however, this does not alter the FSA's interpretation of the law.

"You will note also that the European Parliament has an alternative view on this issue," the spokeswoman added.