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Remnants of spinal cord have today been detected in further pieces of beef imported into the UK from Germany.
Four forequarters, out of a total consignment of 222 quarters, have been detained by the Meat Hygiene Service at ADM, Eastbourne – the same cutting plant where spinal cord was found yesterday.
Spinal cord is on the list of specified risk material (SRM) which, under EU law, must be removed from cattle. EU-wide SRM controls came into force on 1st October last year. SRM includes material most likely to harbour BSE infectivity. All the meat was certified as being from animals under the age of 30 months at slaughter.
The illegal beef found today originated at Mueller Fleisch GmbH of Enzstrasse, Birkenfeld (Licence Number ES-207). The infected material will be incinerated.
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By GlobalDataGeoffrey Podger, Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency, said today: “This latest discovery demonstrates the importance of 100 per cent inspection of imported German beef, in order to protect the public. We are pursuing these violations with the authorities concerned.”
Further action has been taken today:
The Food Standards Agency is sending to the Meat Hygiene Service and all local authorities details of the German and Dutch abattoirs that have breached the BSE controls.
The Meat Hygiene Service continues to monitor volume of imports, and increasing staffing levels where necessary. An extra meat inspector has been deployed to ADM, Eastbourne.
The Dutch authorities have been in contact with the Food Standards Agency, and have sent veterinary teams into the Leeuwarden abattoir implicated in yesterday’s discovery. They have been given copies of the paperwork accompanying the Dutch consignment.
The German Embassy in London has been in contact with the Food Standards Agency, and is to receive copies of all the paperwork associated with today’s and yesterday’s findings so that it can send them to the German federal authorities for investigation.
