Food Standards Agency
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FSA advice on BSE tests for older cattle

The Food Standards Agency will advise the UK Government that testing of all healthy cattle aged over 72 months for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) can be stopped, following agreement at yesterday’s FSA Board meeting.

It was agreed that the testing of these healthy cattle was no longer necessary as long as the other existing safety controls continued to be enforced vigilantly.

The existing controls are the ban on feeding animal protein to farmed animals, which prevents the spread of BSE to animals through feed, and the removal of specified risk material (SRM) – the most risky parts of animals – at slaughter, which protects consumers from the risk from food. Testing is also carried out on cattle that die for reasons other than being killed for human consumption. These controls will remain in force.

The current system for monitoring BSE in cattle includes BSE testing of all healthy cattle aged over 72 months slaughtered where the meat is destined for human consumption. Yesterday’s Board meeting follows the European Commission’s proposal to allow some member states, including the UK, to decide to stop testing these cattle.

Jeff Rooker, Chair of the FSA, said: 'The FSA is here to protect the public and, with no new BSE cases in cattle slaughtered for their meat for more than three years, we believe the decision to stop this particular testing requirement is a proportionate measure. However, this is not a green light for the industry to cut corners, so it is imperative the other controls, including the other surveillance measures, are maintained vigilantly.

'If Ministers agree to stop testing in January, the FSA has been asked to produce a report after six months detailing the results of BSE monitoring and the enforcement of the feed and SRM controls to ensure confidence in the continued effectiveness of the BSE controls. Further reports will be published annually.'

Yesterday's decision followed previous relaxation of the BSE testing rules. In 2011, it was agreed to raise the testing age from 48 months to 72 months.

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