Tyson Foods has no plans to buy cloned livestock

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Tyson Foods Inc, the largest U.S. meat producer, said on Tuesday it currently has no plans to buy cloned livestock and expects that it will be a long time before cloned animals will be available for market.

"Whatever measures we ultimately take will be guided by government regulations and the desires of our customers and consumers," Tyson said in a statement.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has ruled that food from cloned cattle, pigs and goats and their offspring is as safe as any other food. The decision opens the door to the use of cloned animals in livestock in the U.S. food supply.

(Reporting by Bob Burgdorfer)