System to Track Cloned Animals Is Planned

Responding to concerns in the food industry, companies developing cloned livestock have come up with a system to track the animals as they move through farms and slaughterhouses.

The system, which will be announced Wednesday, would make it easier for food companies or retailers to support claims that their products contain no meat or milk from cloned animals.

The program comes as the Food and Drug Administration is thought to be preparing to lift a voluntary moratorium that has kept milk and meat from cloned cows, pigs and goats out of the food supply.

The agency issued a draft report last year declaring that the milk and meat from cloned animals and their conventionally bred offspring were safe to eat. Agency officials said then that they would make a final decision after analyzing public comments, possibly by the end of 2007.

Some lawmakers, however, are trying to introduce legislation that would either force or urge the FDA to delay its action until more study is done. The Senate version of the farm bill contains an amendment to that effect introduced by Barbara A. Mikulski, Democrat of Maryland, and Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania.

The meat and dairy industries have expressed concerns that consumers might shun food from cloned animals, despite the FDA’s assurances. Some public opinion surveys have found that many people are morally opposed to cloned animals, not just concerned about safety. So some food companies and retailers have been interested in a way to show that their food is free of products from clones.

The tracking system is being announced by ViaGen and Trans Ova Genetics, two companies that account for most cloned livestock. The companies said they developed the plan over a 10-month period in consultation with the food industry.

Under the system, the companies would give each cloned animal an electronic ear tag with an identification number, which would be entered into a registry.

Read the full New York Times story here.