Timeline and facts on animal cloning
1996 - One of the most famous cloned animals, Dolly the sheep, was the first mammal cloned from an adult cell and was born in 1996. Dolly was euthanized in 2003 because of a degenerative lung condition.
August 2002 - A National Academy of Sciences panel said food and biomedical products from cloned and genetically engineered animals pose no significant health risks, but stronger US government oversight must be implemented to ensure its safety. The study was requested by the FDA.
October 2003 - FDA says milk and meat products from cloned cattle, pigs and goats are safe for consumers to eat. The agency also said it would consider the ethical concerns posed by US consumer groups on animal cloning before deciding whether to allow the sale of these products.
November 2003 - FDA said it will revisit its preliminary determination that food from cloned animals is safe for consumers after several independent science advisors raised questions about the finding.
December 2006 - The FDA ruled in a draft decision in December 2006 that food and milk made from cloned cattle, pigs and goats was safe to eat.
February 2007 - Dean Foods Co, the largest US dairy processor and distributor, said it will not sell milk from animals that have been cloned because of ongoing consumer concerns even if food products from cloned animals become a reality.
December 2007 - The cloning firms ViaGen and TransOva Genetics announce a new database to allow food companies to identify a cloned animal as it moves through the food supply chain from farm to slaughterhouse. The database would make it easier for companies to show consumers their products are not made from cloned animals.
Agencies
(China Daily 11/05/2008 page7)
