Japan - Cloned cows, pigs safe to be used for food, gov't committee says

Cows and pigs cloned from somatic cells and the offspring of such clones are safe to be used for food, a governmental food safety panel has concluded. In the near future, an expert panel on newly developed food and the Food Safety Commission will discuss the issue, and will report the results of their evaluation to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Based on this, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will consider whether to lift a ban on using beef and pork from somatic cell clones.