June 13, 2005

EU considers relaxing BSE rules

The EU is considering easing up on BSE regulations put in place since the BSE crisis first showed up in the continent in the early 1990s.

The European Food Safety Agency has proposed raising the minimum age for cattle with regards to the removal of specified risk materials (SRM), pending approval by the European Commission.

In 2000, this was set at 12 months in all EU member states, except in the UK.

Evidence provided by the World Organization for Animal Health or OIE has shown that the bovine central nervous system is unlikely to become infectious for cattle below 12 months.

Based on this, EFSA has concluded that setting the age for SRM removal at 21 months old would still allow a reasonable safety margin.

The UK is also considering proposals to end the Over Thirty Month Scheme (OTMS) where the carcases of all cattle slaughtered at 30 months and above are destroyed.  Ending this programme will mean that all cattle over 30 months will be tested for BSE and killed immediately upon confirmation of infection.

Currently, about 560,000 cull cows and 62,000 head of prime harvest cattle are lost in the OTMS every year.

Among Britons, relief over the possible end to the BSE crisis has been tampered with doubts over the economic impact of higher beef supplies, much of which may have to be exported eventually.