Scotch Beef Cattle Association

Brian Simpson, Development Executive of SBCA commented:

“SBCA have continually fought for sensible and proportionate controls for our whole industry and this has certainly not been the case with FSA in recent years.”

“While this move in abattoir controls is in the right direction, we are confused with the decision to prevent butchers taking advantage of EU derogation for authorized shops to handle SRM. The scientific evidence clearly indicates the risks are minuscule and the FSA decision seems to be based entirely on perceived risk to consumer confidence rather than measured risk. This inconsistency of approach is unacceptable from our Food Standards Agency.”

The FSA issued the following statement on 13th May 2009

Dear Stakeholder,

A very short email to let you know that the FSA Board yesterday agreed to proposals to move to a more risk-based regime for the official supervision of BSE controls on over thirty month cattle.

The Board was invited to:

• agree to the proposal to move to a more proportionate, risk-based regime of
official BSE controls for OTM cattle.
• agree that changes are made on a stepped basis with monitoring to show no
loss of control and hence to maintain the current high level of consumer
protection.
• agree that the derogation allowed under EU law to allow removal of OTM
vertebral column (VC) SRM in specifically authorised butchers is not taken at
this time.

The paper put to the Board, which contains more detail of the proposals agreed (see the table on page 3), can be found on the website below.