Investigation into offspring of cloned cow

A Council spokesman confirmed that officers from the Council’s Environmental Health team had visited the farm at Auldearn yesterday (Tuesday) to interview the farmer who owned 2 of the bulls born in the UK from embryos from a cloned cow.

The visit was to confirm information on the bulls and their offspring. Both bulls have been slaughtered, one in 2009 the other in 2010. Meat from the animal slaughtered in 2009 has entered the food chain.

The two bulls sired around 100 cows on the farm. The cows are still on the farm but have not been used for milk production. 

The Council are assisting the Food Standards Agency with the investigation and discussions are ongoing on the future of the cattle. The Food Standards Agency have stated that, based on best available evidence, there are no food safety concerns surrounding the consumption of food products from health clones of their offspring.