Brussels, 10/11/2008 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is standing ready to put a ban, if member states decide it is necessary, on the consumption of milk from goats and ewes suffering from scrapie, after scientific opinions were published on Thursday 6 November, raising the possibility of risks to humans.
Scientists from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have concluded that milk and milk products from herds and flocks affected by classical scrapie, and, to a lesser extent, from sheep and goats in general (since infected animals show no clinical signs of the disease), could “expose animals and humans to the causal agents of this Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy”. EFSA considers, however, that “as classical scrapie is an animal disease and has not been found to affect humans, these findings have implications for animal rather than human health”. Under the precautionary principle, nevertheless, the Commission has already drawn up proposals for a ban on the use of milk from animals from a herd or flock infected by scrapie and to prevent the sale of these products on EU markets. No cases have ever been found of classical scrapie being passed to humans, although it has been known in animals for several centuries. The latest scientific studies on transmission of the disease among animals provide grounds for caution, however.
On the same day, the French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA) published an opinion, concurring with EFSA, on the transmission of the small ruminant scrapie agent to lambs that are genetically predisposed to this illness through the milk from ewes affected by classical scrapie. AFSSA recommends that milk and milk products from affected flocks and herds and those suspected of being affected should not be consumed by humans. It advises, too, that milk from herds and flocks affected, or suspected of being affected, by scrapie should not be used to feed other animals to avoid passing on the disease. (L.C./transl.rt)