Brussels, 28/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - After the confirmation in January 2005 of a case of BSE in a goat in France, consumers should feel partially reassured by the scientific opinion recently published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concerning the safety of goat meat products. Although it is impossible to rule out all risk linked to the consumption of goat meat and goat meat products, the risk is currently very low (almost nothing for the consumption of kid meat), but available data must be completed to update the opinion, EFSA's scientific group on biological risk (BIOHAZ) states. When it comes to BSE, the current risk for consumers of goat meat and goat meat products is low in the case of goats born in 2001 after entry into force of the ban on bone meal and after, EFSA states in its opinion published on Tuesday after a qualitative assessment of the risks for human health associated to the consumption of goat meat in the eventuality that BSE may be present in goats. The EFSA, however, states that it could review its opinion as it also concludes there is a lack of data required for quantifying the risk of BSE in goats. To date, EFSA can assert that the likely incidence of BSE in the Union's goat meat channel is very low given the results of the goat herd surveillance instrument set up by the Commission and recently reinforced. It s the lack of quantitative data that leads the EFSA to make a qualitative assessment of the risks. In its opinion, the EFSA considers that experimental research would be required to assess the power of infection and development of BSE in goats. This research could extend over three or four years. EFSA recommends that the Commission extend by six months the enhanced surveillance programme set in place when the first case of BSE in a goat was recorded. The instrument provides for strengthened screening and discriminatory screening allowing for cases of BSE to be distinguished from scrapie (which cannot be caught by human beings) from all positive scrapie results. Although one or several cases have appeared, EFSA may rapidly look at goat BSE risk associated assessments.
Speaking to the press Geoffrey Podger Executive director at EFSA said that they were not signalling the alarm because they did not need to. Data was encouraging but to get rid of all uncertainties they thought it opportune to informed the public and continue data updates.
Professor John Daniel Collins from the faculty in Dublin, explained that the second suspect case of BSE was in a herd of goats in the United Kingdom and had been subject to additional laboratory tests which would be available in two years. He said that the BSE goat process was long and would be in three phases. He explained that they had used statistics but given the lack of data of goat pathology, it was difficult to assess the quantitative risks. He said that the Commission and Member States, as well as the consultative forum expected a bona fide scientific recommendation. This is why they were taking their time but that nevertheless qualitative risk evaluation by their work group suggested that eating goat meat and derived animal products (those born after 2001) presented no danger. The professor also considered that it was untimely to proceed to quantifying the risks of BSE in sheep. He explained that the test was now valid and they could no exclude the possibility of cases but monitoring suggested that if the disease existed it would be severely restricted (less than 1% of animals at risk). Podger added that they could not exclude the development of BSE in ovines but that no case had been identified and it was a theoretical risk. (http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/biohaz/biohaz_opinions/990_fr.html ).