§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the health implications of the consumption of dairy products where bovine somatotropin has been used in the production process. [78984]
§ Mr. RookerBovine somatotropin (BST) occurs naturally in all cows milk. The manufactured form of BST is not currently permitted for use in the EU. If its use were to be authorised, it would be classified as a veterinary medicinal product. Products have previously been assessed by independent scientific committees against the statutory criteria of safety, quality and efficacy. I asked the independent Veterinary Products Committee to set up a Working Group, which is currently consulting the latest scientific information on animal and human safety, and the Committee is expected to offer advice to Ministers on the safety of BST in the summer.