Third case of cloned meat revealed

In a statement, the Food Standards Agency said it had traced animals born in the UK from eight embryos produced by a cloned cow in the US.

It said five of the eight animals were known to have had offspring, and while all of this offspring was too young to be milked or used for breeding, one animal was slaughtered on 16 June 2010 and meat from this animal entered the food chain.

The FSA reported that the meat was sold in a butcher’s shop in London and will have been eaten.

In a statement the FSA said: “In summary, as part of this investigation, the Agency has established that, in total, meat from three animals has entered the food chain without authorisation under the Novel Food Regulations.”

It said meat from the first animal, Dundee Paratrooper, slaughtered in 2009, was sold to consumers via four butchers’ premises in Scotland and a single butcher’s shop in north east England.

Meat from the second animal, Parable, slaughtered on 5 May 2010 was sent to Belgium.

The FSA added: “While there is no evidence that consuming products from healthy clones, or their offspring, poses a food safety risk, meat and products from clones and their offspring are considered novel foods and would therefore need to be authorised before being placed on the market.”

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