Untested milk from cloned cows

Untested milk from cloned cows should not be described as 'enhanced' or
potential medical cure. Surprise at taxpayer funded research into foods consumers find distasteful.

The news that genetically engineered 'enhanced' milk has been produced from
AgResearch cloned cows has been criticised by GE Free New Zealand as being a
misleading and inaccurate representation of the facts.

The milk was described as being 'enhanced' implying the product was better than the original and was also stated to be of possible medical benefit.

" A noticeable media push describing unproven medical uses of GE is being used to influence public perception of genetic engineering in New Zealand," said Susie Lees of GE Free New Zealand in Food and Environment.
“These descriptions mislead the public. The New Zealand taxpayer does not need to support controversial experimentation with cloned animals when it has its clean green image to uphold."

The milk produced from cloned cows was described as a 'world first'apparently increasing the speed of cheese production.

However it seems certain that there will be no value to farmers, even if customers are forced to consume these products, as the animals suffer from abnormalities and high abortion rates.

AgResearch produced only 11 cloned calves carrying the extra genes, from 126 attempts.

"NZ research should not be breeding weakness into their blood lines. Our milk is already produced by some of the healthiest animals in the world. We are surprised that New Zealand is even considering producing milk from cloned cows; since it has until recently had a reputation for clean produce produced in a healthy natural environment and this is what the consumer wants," stated Ms Lees.

"No food safety agency has yet made a decision as to whether produce from cloned animals can be used for human food or is safe."

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