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THE board of the Australian Wagyu Association plans to undertake a review of the practice of, and regulation surrounding genetic cloning, as used occasionally in the Australian beef industry.
Explained in more detail below, cloning is a type of reproductive technology, creating an animal that is an exact genetic copy of another animal.
AWA chief executive Dr Matt McDonagh confirmed the review when asked about the topic by Beef Central, following the circulation of a discussion paper among members.
Dr McDonagh said the review had been requested by AWA membership, and principally involved understanding the regulatory framework around cloning (see FSANZ policy below), and government legislation around consumption of meat from cloned animals and their progeny.
At least some of the scrutiny will be around the issue of how other customer countries apply rules around the consumption of meat from cloned animals or their progeny. Australian Wagyu beef is exported into more than 50 countries worldwide.
“That’s effectively what the AWA board has agreed to undertake,” Dr McDonagh told Beef Central.
“We think there has been some lack of clarity and uncertainty within the industry, about the implications that cloning may or may not have for industry. In the absence of that clarity, speculation can take hold, and the opportunity for misinformation.”
“From our point of view, the AWA board needs to do its due diligence and fully understand the area in which we operate. That’s the role of the board, and it is going to investigate the topic – but that does not mean anything in the way of policy changes.”
Dr McDonagh said cloned animals are presently not able to be registered with the AWA.
In the global dairy industry, cloned bulls are widely used to amplify elite genetics, and the milk from the female progeny of those bulls can enter the food system, and indeed is exported around the world.
A similar principle applied in beef, Dr McDonagh said, with beef from the progeny of a cloned bull able to enter the food chain.
At an AWA technical workshop held in November, Australian Wagyu breeder and stem cell biologist Dr Muren Herrid from International Livestock Research Centre, which operates OPU/IVF laboratories in Australia, Canada and China, gave an outline of recent developments in the application of cloning in the beef industry.
In this technical paper written with noted US animal scientist Dr Alison Van Eenennaam, Dr Herrid explains how zona-free cloning technologies (removing the zona pellucida from oocytes) is improving the cloning process, delivering improved live birth outcomes.
Food products deemed safe
So how does Australia view protein produced from cloned animals?
The Food Standards Australia New Zealand website claims (statement updated as recently as November 2025) that there are currently about 30-40 cloned animals (all cattle) in Australia.
A number of breeds are understood to be involved, including Wagyu.
FSANZ says food from cloned animals and their progeny does not require pre-market approval in Australia or NZ before entering the food supply. Nor do any special labelling requirements apply.
However, like all foods, foods from cloned animals must comply with existing food laws, including relevant standards in the Food Standards Code, FSANZ says.
“US Food and Drug Administration, European Food Safety Authority and Japan Food Safety Commission risk assessments have concluded that food products from cloned animals and their offspring are as safe as food products from conventionally bred animals. FSANZ has reviewed these assessments and agrees with the findings,” the statement says.
Japan was one of the first countries to approved cloning in the food chain, completing its risk assessment on cattle and pigs as far back as 2009.
The Japanese Government at the time of the approval said, “Based on current scientific findings, the risk assessment showed that foods derived from SCNT (somatic cell nuclear transfer) cloned cattle and pigs and their offspring have equivalent safety as those derived from cattle and pigs produced from the conventional artificial insemination.”
FSANZ said it understood that the (small number of cloned animals in Australia) are being used for breeding purposes only, and that food products from these animals are not currently entering the food supply.
However food products from their offspring are almost certainly in the food supply, the regulatory body said.
Almost 40 countries have conducted research on animal cloning, FSANZ says. Most occurs in Argentina, Brazil and the United States in the agricultural sector.
The commercial use of cloned animals in agriculture has so far mainly been confined to the meat and dairy industries, FSANZ says.
The most common cloning method involves removing the genetic material from an unfertilised egg and replacing it with the complete genetic material from the animal to be cloned (the donor animal). The egg is then implanted into a surrogate mother who gives birth to an animal that is a clone of the donor animal. The cloned animal is then bred with other animals to pass on its desirable characteristics.
FSANZ points out that cloning is different to genetic modification. Genetic modification involves adding, taking away, or modifying genes. Cloning does not introduce any changes into the genetic code of an animal.
I am a clone! Yes, I am an identical twin. Our DNA (genome) was identical. We probably originated as a single oocyte that split. Most people that knew us could net distinguish between us. Even one of our wives once confused us. Our children could not distinguish us until they were at least 4 years old. Most of our colleagues could not distinguish us. Once we were living about 500 miles apart and visited our mother. Each of us arrived with identical new shoes and pants which neither new about the other.
This is a timely and well-written article. I appreciate how it clearly explains cloning and confirms food safety with strong scientific evidence.
For the Australian Wagyu industry, this is highly relevant—cloning can accelerate the spread of elite genetics, but clarity on regulations and market acceptance is key to maintaining consumer confidence and premium value. Otherwise, Australia risks falling behind other major livestock nations.
The article focuses on the AWA Board’s review of cloning and associated regulation. The broader concern, however, is that the underlying Board proposal was not limited to cloning and also referred to gene technologies such as gene editing / genetic modification.
That is a very different issue for premium branded Wagyu businesses selling into global markets. Technical arguments about safety are only part of the discussion. Customer reaction, brand trust, regulator response and export market access matter just as much.
For Harmony, any move to normalise or explore gene editing / genetic modification in Australian Wagyu creates unnecessary risk in markets we have spent years building.
Cloning should not be conflated with gene editing, as they represent distinct technologies. Cloning replicates an existing, naturally occurring genotype without altering DNA, while gene editing introduces targeted genetic modifications.
Notably, cloned animals are already accepted within established breeding frameworks and are registered by major industry bodies, including Angus Australia, Holstein Australia, and Australian Brahman Breeders’ Association. This demonstrates that cloning is compatible with current systems of pedigree recording, traceability, and industry transparency.
Extending similar clarity to Wagyu registration would support innovation while maintaining the integrity and accountability required under Australian livestock regulations.