Now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it’s perfectly healthy for Americans to eat meat and drink milk from cloned animals and such animals’ offspring, leaders at a Lawrence company are waiting to see whether consumers – and the companies who feed them – buy into the notion.

Identigen North America Inc., 4824 Quail Crest Place, uses DNA technology to trace the identity of meat products from source to shelves. The company markets its TraceBack products to producers and retailers interested in verifying claims that can add value to their products, such as those classified as range-fed, organic or otherwise.

Now, Identigen could track clones, too.

“The issue of cloned animals is just another example of how complex the supply chain is becoming,” said Don Marvin, president and CEO of Identigen North America, in an e-mail from Dublin, Ireland, home of the firm’s parent company. “Producers, processors and retailers are looking for tools to manage this complexity and to communicate to consumers.

“Identigen’s DNA TraceBack system offers some important tools like traceability and verification, which can certainly be applied in the case of clones if there is a demand for it. In short, DNA TraceBack helps align the value chain between the producer and the consumer, and cloning is just another facet of this very complex chain.”

In June, Identigen opened the headquarters for its North American operations in Lawrence, and the company now has 50 employees working in Ireland, Lawrence and a satellite office in Denver, a city that is home to the National Cattleman’s Association and other potential customers.