Three cases of meat linked to a cloned cow being sold in the UK have emerged Meat and milk from cloned cattle and their offspring is safe to consume, independent scientists have said.
The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes said it believed the food was unlikely to present any risk.
The Food Standards Agency will discuss the conclusions in December before providing further advice to ministers.
The committee considered the issue following reports over the summer that meat from the offspring of cloned animals was being sold to consumers.
The scientists said there was no substantial difference between meat and milk from cloned animals and that from conventional livestock, in line with a number of other scientific assessments.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said three cases of meat linked to a cloned cow being sold in the UK had emerged.
There were two cases involving Highlands farm bulls grown from embryos of a cow cloned in the US.
The third case involved meat from a male calf that was sent to a London butcher’s shop.
The FSA said the calf was the offspring of one of eight animals born in the UK from embryos produced by the US cloned cow.
FSA chief scientist Andrew Wadge said: “The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes has confirmed that meat and milk from cloned cattle and their offspring shows no substantial difference to conventionally produced meat and milk, and therefore is unlikely to present a food safety risk.”
In the US, South America and Asia farmers can breed from cloned cows, sheep and pigs in order to increase milk and meat production.
However, in Europe farmers who want to introduce the products of cloned animals into the food chain require specific authorisation.
BBC science correspondent Pallab Ghosh says this is in effect a ban.
Some European farmers believe they are being put at a disadvantage by being denied the option of using the technology, our correspondent adds.
Critics say there are strong ethical and animal welfare reasons to ban its use in European agriculture.
Milk and meat from cloned animals are considered “novel foods” and suppliers have to get a special authorisation before selling them.
Breaches of the Novel Food Regulations can attract a fine of up to £5,000.
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