Published 17/09/2010

In the Daily Mail article, "Clone food in all our shops within 2 years" (Daily Mail, 16th September) the Food Standards Agency said that because of the difficulty in tracing cloned animals, it is impossible to halt the spread of cloning and the sale of meat and milk from clones and their offspring.

Compassion in World Farming totally opposes this supine attitude. The claim that these animals cannot be traced is bogus- the UK and the rest of the EU already have good traceability systems for cattle.

Cloning may entail great suffering for the animals involved. Many cloned animals are born with defective hearts or kidneys and are prone to infection.

Cloning should have no part to play in UK and European farming. The EU is currently discussing whether to ban the sale of food from clones and their offspring.

Unfortunately the UK's coalition government is refusing to come out against cloning. We urge Defra Secretary of State Caroline Spelman to change her mind and support the European Parliament in opposing the cloning of farm animals and the sale of food from clones and their offspring.

Read more:

• Cloning = Cruelty
• Clone food 'in all our shops within two years' watchdog reveals - Daily Mail