Cloning companies set database to track animals

By Christopher Doering

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new database will allow food companies to identify a cloned animal as it moves through the food supply chain from farm to slaughterhouse, two of the largest U.S. livestock cloning companies said on Wednesday.

ViaGen and TransOva Genetics, which developed the tracking system, would give each cloned animal a unique ID that can be entered into a registry and used by livestock auction markets or packers and processors to identify the animal.

The database would make it easier for companies to show consumers their products are not made from cloned animals. It was unveiled as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration prepares a final ruling on meat and other goods taken from clones.

Opponents of cloning said the database does not go far enough to protect consumers, and they urged the FDA to delay its final ruling until more studies can be done on safety of meat and milk from cloned animals.

The FDA ruled in a draft decision last December that food made from cloned cattle, pigs and goats was safe to eat. Many expect the FDA to now permit their sale.

"This system is not a health or a safety program, as the scientific consensus is clear: food derived from clones and their offspring is as safe as any other food," said Mark Walton, president of ViaGen.

Proponents have touted cloned animals as safe and hope the technology will create animals that produce more milk, better meat and are more disease-resistant.

The new tracking program was developed over the last year with members from the food industry. The companies said the owner of a cloned animal would pay a deposit, about $1,000 for a cow or bull, on top of what they pay for the clone, to ensure they follow proper marketing and disposal of the animal.