Cloned meat and milk ‘safe’

 A PILOT study has shown that milk and meat from cloned cattle appear safe for human consumption, the BBC reports.

Scientists in the US and Japan found that meat and dairy products from a cloned bull and cow met industry standards.

The team said the results indicated cloning techniques were safe and could be used to boost food production, particularly in developing countries.

The study appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Two beef and four dairy clones were used in the study, all derived from a single cow and a single bull.

The scientists, led by Jerry Yang from the University of Connecticut, compared the produce with that from comparable, conventionally bred animals.

They concluded that the study showed the produce to be within the range approved for human consumption, but stressed the research was at an early stage.

Critics have told the BBC, however, that the study is too small for firm conclusions to be drawn.