October 31, 2011

Beef enters UK food chain without BSE test

UK's Food Standards Agency admitted that beef entered the food chain without the animal being tested for BSE.

All cattle aged more than 72 months have to be compulsorily tested for the brain wasting disease and a negative result received before their beef can leave abattoirs. But the cow, aged 74 months and 11 days and slaughtered at the Anglo Dutch Meat (Charing) abattoir in Kent on August 11, went untested.

The FSA said: "It is very unlikely that the cow was infected with BSE and as specified risk material (SRM) was removed, any risk to human health is extremely low."