An investigation into milk from cloned animals entering the UK food supply is a further wake-up call for New Zealand producers. New Zealand's dairy industry should ban milk from cloned animals as part of a package of reforms urgently needed to improve current practices that threaten Brand New Zealand.
The reforms are required to protect the value of New Zealand's reputation in the market, and include the adoption by all dairy farmers of the animal welfare standards of the organic industry, which does not allow induced calf abortions.
New Zealand should also protect against the threat to the integrity of the food supply from AgResearch's applications for production of milks in GE cows, and the development of cloned cows held near the AgResearch site at Ruakura.
The development of cloned animals goes hand in hand with Genetic Engineering experiments, deformities and animal suffering. Though cloning in New Zealand is not regulated under the HSNO Act, plans by the biotechnology industry here are part of the push in the US where cloned meat is starting to appear. Cloning, like calf abortions presents a direct threat to New Zealand's international reputation, as the animal suffering linked to development of clones will not be acceptable to our export consumers.
"Cloning of animals for meat and dairy does not fit with our international image," says Jon Carapiet spokesperson for GE-free NZ in food and environment.
"The industry must realise the risks to the New Zealand Brand which Fonterra trades on, are far greater than the San Lu contamination or dirty-dairing."
"Animal welfare, avoidance of suffering, and providing natural, GE-free, and ethically produced foods are all vital to the future success of our agricultural sector."
As future food-related disease, degradation of the environment, and animal suffering change the market New Zealand must live up to the new standards.
There is urgent need for a defined strategy for Brand New Zealand. Government leadership is needed to support economic resilience through organics, IPM, word-class animal welfare standards, and ethical uses of genetic science such as gene marker assisted breeding.
To protect our long-term economic wellbeing we need to maintain ensure the New Zealand brand is clone-free, GE-free, ethical and serious about sustainability.
Contact
Jon Carapiet 0210507681
References
Milk From Cloned Cow's Offspring 'Sold In UK'
(c) Sky News 2010
An investigation has been launched into a British dairy farmer who claimed he secretly sold milk from the offspring of a cloned cow to high street shops.
This would mean the milk would be sold with no markings to warn consumers what they were buying.The International Herald Tribune newspaper reported the farmer - who wished to remain anonymous - admitted he used milk from a cow bred from a clone as part of his daily production.
Under European law foodstuffs such as milk that are produced from cloned animals must pass a safety test and get approval before they can be marketed.
But the Food Standards Authority (FSA), which is responsible for the assessments, has not been asked to make any authorisations and has decided to investigate the matter.
A spokeswoman said: "Since 2007 the FSA interpretation of the law has been that meat and products from clones and their offspring are considered novel foods and would therefore need to be authorised before being placed on the market.
"As the UK authority responsible for accepting novel food applications, the agency has not received any applications relating to cloning and no authorisations have been made.
"The agency will, of course, investigate any reports of unauthorised novel foods entering the food chain."
There was concern about calves born to cloned parents three years ago when it emerged that a calf from a cloned cow was born on a British farm.
Dundee Paradise was said to have been born to a surrogate mother on a Midlands farm after she was flown into Britain as a frozen embryo.
Her mother was created in the US using cells from the ear of a champion dairy Holstein, according to reports.
Later that year, public outrage caused Dundee Paradise and her brother, Dundee Paratrooper, to be withdrawn from an auction but it is thought they went on sale privately instead.
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