Talks on updating the European Union (EU)'s novel foods regulation collapsed Tuesday after the European Parliament and the EU member states failed to reach an agreement on how to deal with foods derived from cloned animals.

"Since European public opinion is overwhelmingly against cloning for food, a commitment to label all food products from cloned offspring is a bare minimum," the European Parliament said after the talks ended Tuesday morning.

But the EU member states only agreed to label fresh beef derived from offsprings of cloned animals.

The EU Council, which represents EU member states, said in a statement that the request by the Parliament is "irrespective of the technical feasibility and the practical implications of such mandatory labelling."

The Council said that it does not want to mislead consumers by agreeing rules that cannot be enforced, adding that the rules could provoke a trade conflict with other countries.

The collapse of the talks will leave the current regulation which was adopted in 1997 and does not include rules concerning cloned foods, remaining in force. The European Commission, which adopted a legislative proposal in 2008 to update the regulation, will have to work out a new review proposal.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet