The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced this week that meat and milk from clones of cattle, swine, and goats, and the offspring of clones from any species traditionally consumed as food, are as "safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals." FDA indicated it will not require labeling of clone-derived milk and meat because it has determined the safety concerns are no different than traditional food.

The announcement came as FDA issued a 1) risk assessment that concluded the safety of the meat and milk from cloned animals; 2) a risk-management plan that outlines measures that FDA has taken to address the risks that cloning poses to animals involved in the cloning process; and 3) a guidance for industry that addresses the use of food and feed products derived from clones and their offspring.

USDA in a statement said it "fully supports and agrees with FDA's final assessment that meat and milk from cattle, swine and goat clones pose no safety concerns, and these products are no different than food from traditionally bred animals." USDA also asked that the current "voluntary moratorium" on the marketing of cloned animals and their products continue.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic Ocean, the European Food Safety Authority last week declared that meat and milk from healthy, cloned cattle and pigs is "very unlikely" to pose risks to consumers. Still to be decided is whether the EU will ultimately approve the sale of meat and milk from cloned animals.