Brussels, 07/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Commission defined and immediately submitted to the Standing Veterinary Committee (SVC) three new measures it is proposing introducing into Community legislation to step-up the fight against the risks of exposure for European consumers to the infectious agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
These measures, presented to the veterinary experts of the Member States in the form of Commission draft proposals consist in: 1) including the vertebral columns of all cattle of over twelve months and all mechanically recovered meat from bones of bovines (whatever the bones they come from) in specified risk materials banned from being used in the animal and human food chain; 2) imposing new requirements for pressure-cook rendered animal fats from ruminants for food and feed; 3) authorising certain hydrolused proteins from fish and feathers. To draw up these proposals, the Commission took account of the opinion of the Union's Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) of 12 January (see EUROPE of 18 January) and the political guidelines of the Agriculture Ministers of the Fifteen (see EUROPE of 31 January, p.7). Here, in concrete terms, is what each o these proposals cover:
Specified risk materials
I. The removal and destruction of the vertebral column of all bovines over twelve months will be compulsory and may be executed at the consumer sales outlet, that is to say in butcher's shops. This is optional (in accordance with the practice in force in France). Removal at the abattoir, as already practiced in the United Kingdom and Portugal, would thus not be banned.
The Union's Scientific Steering Committee considered that such a measure was required when there were doubts as to the effective implementation of the ban of feeding ruminants with meat or bone meal each time it cannot be proven that an animal is not incubating an illness. Conditional exceptions to the obligation of the removal are therefore possible for Member states whose existing measures of control are effective.
Eligible for this exception are: 1) Sweden, Finland and Austria which, to date, have recorded no indigenous cases of BSE and are considered as countries where the presence of BSE is not very likely (according to a classification of countries by category of geographic risks of incidence of BSE); 2 ) the United Kingdom, country where the exclusion from the food chain of all bovines of over thirty months allows to guarantee a minimum and falling number of animals that may be infected (0.8% in 2001). This exemption will, however, be contained to the territory of the United Kingdom: bone-in meat will be allowed to be consumed in the country but will still not be allowed to be exported (the current ban in force under the export regime based on date will still be applied); 3 Portugal, whose BSE eradication measures in force and the additional screening programme of all cattle found dead have convinced the Commission's inspection services of their effectiveness. This goes especially for the effective ban on meat meal in force since 1 January 1999. The exemption will only apply to animals born after this date and aged less than thirty months, and be valid for meat consumed in Portugal (as long at least as the Commission has not proposed the lifting of the current embargo on the import of beef from this country).
All these exemptions will depend on the pursuit and improvement of BSE monitoring, which, notably, requires an increase in screening tests among cattle. Thus, the United Kingdom is said to have been asked to test some 65,000 cattle born between 1 August 1996 and 1 August 1997 (year that followed the effective implementation of the ban on meat meal in ruminant feed). These animals are banned from entering the food chain (due to their age exceeding 30 months), but tests performed on them could provide extremely useful epidemiological information. Sweden, Finland and Austria will be asked to conduct tests on all cattle over 30 months slaughtered in view of human consumption and on all cattle that die on a farm (at present, these countries are only held to perform tests on cattle at risk of over 30 months, on animals exported and on a certain percentage of animals dead on a farm). All other Member States will also be able to ask for an exemption that may be granted to them in view of their epidemiological status in matter of BSE and their effective implementation of the ban on meat meal.
Once adopted, the Commission's decision will take the form of an amendment to Decision 2000/418/EC concerning SRM) to take effect on 31 March 2001.
II. Mechanically recovered meat from bones - mechanically recovered meat from bones of cattle of all ages will be banned. This measure extends the field of application of a ban already in force, exclusively affecting mechanically recovered meat from the cranium and vertebral column of cattle. Implementation of this proposal will take the form of an amendment to Decision 2000/418/EC.
Heat treatment rendered ruminant fats.
Tallow used in animal feed should be submitted to a heat treatment similar to that imposed on animal meals, namely: 133 degrees, at a pressure of 3 bars, for twenty minutes (this treatment is in addition to the filtering to which the tallow is already required to be submitted to remove its proteins and impurities). For good measure with the precautions taken for animals, a similar treatment will be introduced for tallow used in the feed aimed at human consumption.
Certain Member States, such as France and Germany, prefer a total ban on the use of animal fats in animal feeds or the extension of this ban to all ruminant fats. The Commission underlines that the scientific data available does not move in this direction, but that it will continue to ensure that the control measures of the Member States guarantee a safe use of ruminant fats in feed for ruminants. The Commission proposes to modify Decision 1999/534/EC (measures applicable to the treatment of certain animal waste) in view of an enforcement of the measure on 1 March 2001.
Hydrolysed proteins
Decision are made on the conditions in which hydrolysed proteins are authorised by derogation to the temporary ban on the use of certain animal proteins in animals for animals (enforced since last 1 January). The ball is in the court of the Standing Veterinary Committee, which has to rule, by qualified majority, over these proposed decisions.