§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to introduce further controls on residues of veterinary medicines in meat; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerI am issuing a consultation document today on our proposals and I intend to introduce regulations under the Food Safety Act which will significantly strengthen existing controls on the presence of veterinary medicines in meat and meat products. There has been concern that the mis-use of veterinary medicines can pose a threat to the health of consumers through residues passing into the food chain.
The new measures will contain the following key elements:
to make it an offence to submit an animal for slaughter containing residues in excess of prescribed maximum limits;to make it an offence to sell meat or meat products with excess residues;to make it an offence to fail to observe the withdrawal period stipulated in the literature associated with licensed veterinary medicinal products;to enable carcases found to contain excess residues to be immediately condemned as unfit for human or animal consumption;to enable animals found to contain illegal beta-agonists or other unlicensed veterinary medicinal products to be compulsorily slaughtered other than for human or animal consumption.The consultation document has been issued to interested parties and copies have also been placed in the Library of the House. Consultation with the European Commission will also be necessary. I expect to be able to lay the final regulation before the House in October.
The British agricultural industry has a fine reputation for the safe use of veterinary medicines. These measures will protect that reputation and I hope that other countries in the European Community will be prepared to take and enforce similar measures.