April 18, 2011
 

UK's age limit for BSE examination to increase

The UK's Department of Food, Environment and Rural Affairs and Food Standards Agency, and the Welsh Assembly Government, have started a consultation procedure which will increase the age threshold for the testing of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in healthy cattle culled for human consumption.

It is proposed that that age limit will be moved from 48 months to 72 months as from July 1, 2011.

In detail, the following are the two aspects of the consultation.

From July 1, 2011, the UK and 21 other member states will be allowed to raise the age threshold for BSE testing of all healthy cattle slaughtered for human consumption from 48 to 72 months. Secondly, from January 1, 2013, the UK and 21 other member states will be allowed to test a sample of healthy cattle slaughtered for human consumption aged over 72 months for BSE. The sample size will be agreed at a later date.

The BSE epidemic in the UK is declining. There were 11 BSE cases confirmed in cattle in Great Britain in 2010. Over two million healthy cattle slaughtered for human consumption were tested for BSE in Great Britain from November 2005 to the end of 2010. Of these, only two cattle aged less than 72 months were diagnosed with BSE; one slaughtered was in 2006 and another in 2008.

If these changes are approved it is estimated that they will save the industry approximately US$1.5 million per year, and there will be further government savings.