Japan's ministry of health has claimed that consumers will not suffer any ill effects from eating the meat of cloned cattle. These comments follow a government report on cattle cloning that was published last month.

"No abnormalities were seen in the components of the meat and milk, and it is difficult to conceive of any factor that would undermine the safety of the products," the report concluded.

The recommendations contained in the report, which was carried out by a study group of the health, labour and welfare ministry, could clear the way for the marketing of cloned meat across the nation.

The report advocates the introduction of a number of measures designed to guarantee the safety of cloned meat. For example, it calls for a system of checks and balances to be put in place to assess the safety of any food that may be made from cloned animals in the future.

If these recommendations are implemented, they have the potential to revolutionise the meat market in Japan. There is currently a voluntary ban on cloned cattle in the country, but this could be swept aside if the government can convince suppliers and consumers of the safety of cloned cattle meat.

A final decision on lifting the voluntary restraint on cloned meat is likely to be made by a government-appointed food safety commission.