Date Published: 4 March 2009
Monthly report of specified risk material and other BSE control breaches for January 2009
The following report from the Food Standards Agency provides a monthly update
on specified risk material (SRM) finds and related issues. These reports are
posted on the Agency’s website normally during the second week of each
month.
Two incidents occurred in January:
Northern Ireland: The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), which enforces the part of the TSE Regulations relating to SRM in Northern Ireland on behalf of the FSA, has discovered that a bovine carcass containing SRM vertebral column was dispatched to a butcher’s premises on 14 January. The incident occurred at ABP Newry, where the vertebral column should have been removed prior to dispatch to the butcher’s premises.
Investigations revealed that the carcass had subsequently been boned out and either stored as primal cuts or sold. DARD is content that the SRM vertebral column did not reach the consumer and was disposed of as Category 1 animal by-product.
Great Britain: On 29 January, a breach was discovered at ABP Ellesmere during routine checks by the Meat Hygiene Service. A piece of spinal cord was discovered in a forequarter of beef from an animal aged over 48 months. Spinal cord becomes SRM in bovines at over 12 months. The spinal cord was removed at ABP Ellesmere and the quarter processed as usual.
The breach had occurred on 26 January at ABP Blackburn, where the spinal cord should have been removed prior to dispatch. As an over 48 months bovine, the animal had been tested for BSE and a negative result obtained.
Source: Food Standards Agency (FSA), UK.
