Cloned beef may hit grocery stores later in the year

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http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20030412a1.htm

 

Cloned beef may hit grocery stores later in the year

 

A health ministry report released Friday says that

meat and milk of cows cloned from the somatic cells of

adult animals are safe for human consumption.

 

The report by a study group of the Health, Labor and

Welfare Ministry strengthens the likelihood that

retailing of beef and milk from cloned cows could

begin sometime this fiscal year, which ends next March

31.

 

No other country allows the consumption of meat or

milk from cows cloned from the cells of adult animals

due to the high rate of defects in the clones.

 

The group's report, based on three years of research,

says, " No abnormalities were seen in the components of

the meat and milk, and it is difficult to conceive of

any factor that would undermine the safety of the

products. "

 

It also says, however, that " careful consideration is

necessary " and calls for a system to respond quickly

to any new discoveries that might point to negative

aspects of such cloning.

 

Shipments of beef cloned from somatic cells are

currently withheld by producers because of an

agricultural ministry request for " voluntary "

restraint.

 

Under this cloning technique, which was used in

Britain to produce Dolly the sheep in 1996, the cows

are cloned by transferring the nuclei of cells from

adult animals into ova from which the nuclei have been

removed.

 

Despite the report, there are views within the health

ministry that in light of problems such as the high

death rate of clones, a final decision on lifting the

request for voluntary restraint on shipments should be

made by a food safety commission planned to be set up

in the Cabinet Office.

 

In June 2000, the health ministry issued a midterm

report on cows cloned from the cells of adults

animals, saying more information was needed to confirm

the safety of consumption of their meat or milk.

 

The ministry has conducted further research since

then.

 

A survey by Kyodo News in December showed that 33 of

the 40 facilities in Japan producing or raising cloned

cows are positive about shipping them for consumption.

 

The Japan Times: April 12, 2003

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