§ Mr. DrewTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if there have been any recent cases of spinal cord discovered in imported beef. [93826]
§ Mr. Nick BrownSince the beginning of June, a number of imported beef forequarters containing small sections of spinal cord have been discovered by Meat Hygiene Service and State Veterinary Service staff at a cutting plant in Great Britain. These forequarters all originated from slaughterhouses in the Republic of Ireland and have been destroyed.
In response to the Chief Veterinary Officer's request for urgent action by the authorities in the Republic of Ireland, the veterinary authorities there have undertaken to penalise the veterinary inspectors responsible for certifying the beef. They have also told the Irish Meat Association that any failure by a member company to implement the specified risk material (SRM) controls will result in the withdrawal of the Supplementary certification for export to the UK. Their unannounced inspections will also be stepped up. Meat Hygiene Service staff at licensed cutting plants and local authorities are being asked to pay particular attention to beef carcases imported from the Republic of Ireland.
Since March 1996, the State Veterinary Service's audit has found no spinal cord specified risk material in beef derived from animals slaughtered in Great Britain. The results of these audits are published in the monthly BSE Enforcement Bulletin.