WASHINGTON, Jan 15: The US food health authority on Tuesday approved the sale of meat and milk from cloned livestock, declaring the controversial products as safe to eat as those from normal animals.

The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in a statement that it “concluded that meat and milk from clones of cattle, swine, and goats ... are as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals.” The statement accompanied its risk assessment report unveiled here.

The FDA has carried out six years of studies to decide whether to give the green light for marketing foods from clones.

In 2006 it declared that products from cloned animals were no different from those of beasts raised normally, but told producers not to market them until it had issued guidelines.

A US Department of Agriculture (USDA) official called for a “smooth and seamless” process to prepare for the introduction of products from cloned animals into the market.

“USDA is encouraging the technology producers to maintain their voluntary moratorium on sending milk and meat from animal clones into the food supply during this transition time,” said Bruce Knight, the department’s undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs.

The FDA said it did not have enough information to rule on whether products from cloned sheep and other animals were safe to eat.

The prospect of so-called “Frankenfoods” has caused concern among food safety and animal rights groups and the US dairy industry, which fears its image and exports will be damaged.

The European Commission vowed on Tuesday to consult consumers about meat and milk from clones before giving its own ruling in May.

The European Food Safety Authority on Friday had said that meat and milk from healthy cattle clones was probably safe for humans to eat.

The FDA’s ruling has been held up by strong resistance. A Washington-based campaign group, the Center for Food Safety, condemned the US plan to approve food from clones.

“The impact on US agriculture, trade, and the integrity of the food supply are still largely unknown,” it said in a statement last month, responding to earlier reports that the FDA was set to make its ruling.

“There are still all those unanswered questions,” biologist Michael Hansen of the Consumers Union said before Tuesday’s announcement. “The samples (used by the FDA in its research) are very small.” Senators also passed a farm bill last month that included a measure requiring the FDA to delay its ruling until further studies are carried out.

Opinion polls have shown most Americans are opposed to such foods.—AFP