The Australian Government has received over 1500 calls from worried consumers on its BSE hotline since the announcement of a product recall and the extended beef ban began in earnest this week.
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The ban and recall were introduced to safeguard Australia against the spread of mad cow disease and its human equivalent, variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (vCJD). The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) has received hundreds of calls and hits on its website since the measures came into force on Monday. Most of the enquiries relate to which products are safe to eat and those that should be discarded.
Retailers have been asked to remove all products containing European beef, including soups, stock cubes and processed meats, from their shelves. Consumers have also been asked to check their food stocks for any recalled products. The ban on imported beef products extends to over 30 European countries.
Australian scientists have warned against complacency if Australian cattle are to remain disease free. Colin Masters, of the National Health and Medical Research Council has called for the practice of feeding cattle with protein derived from animals and powdered remains of some animals to be banned. The Australian beef industry has called for a total ban on the import of mammal-derived protein.
Cattle Council chief executive Justin Toohey said it was vital Australia took every effort to ensure show the nation’s cattle industry, worth about $A3.3bn ($US1.85bn), stays was free of BSE.
“We’ve seen a 50% cut in the number of butchers in France and Germany, and the problem is getting people to eat beef again after they’ve stopped,” he said. “It is vital that we maintain our BSE-free status.”
