BSE fears amid meat shortage

Farmers are calling for the closure of European abattoirs exporting BSE-risk meat to the UK, amid domestic meat shortages caused by foot-and-mouth disease precautions.

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) call comes after consignments of beef from Germany and The Netherlands were found to contain the remnants of banned spinal cord material.

They should close the abattoirs down today until they show they are behaving responsibly

Ben Gill
NFU president

Food Standards Agency (FSA) officials have sent out a hit list to local authorities and meat hygiene inspectors of the offending abattoirs in mainland Europe.

Spinal cord is banned under strict European Union rules, as there is a risk it may carry the prion proteins thought to spread BSE.

It must be removed from cattle aged over 12 months immediately after slaughter and destroyed.

More meat is being imported from abroad because of the meat shortages caused by the current ban on livestock movement in the UK.

NFU president Ben Gill said he was "extremely angry" that the message about the dangers of BSE was not getting through in some countries.

'Unacceptable'

He called on the European Commission, which has the authority to check all European abattoirs, to shut down any found guilty of not properly implementing regulations.

"They should close the abattoirs down today until they show they are behaving responsibly and properly," he said.

Mr Gill said he was holding urgent talks on Monday with EU Health Commissioner David Byrne.

Urgent talks: NFU president Ben Gill

The FSA has now ordered greater BSE-related checks on meat imports.

FSA chairman Sir John Krebbs said seven carcasses in a consignment of meat from Holland had been found to have spinal cord in them, and another five in a consignment from Germany.

"This is totally unacceptable," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"The German and Dutch suppliers must put their houses in order as soon as possible.

"In the meantime, to ensure the British public is protected, we've stepped up our checks particularly to target a hit list of suppliers that have produced this material with spinal cord in it."

He said the UK did not have the authority to ensure abattoirs in other countries abided by BSE laws, but added that the issue has been taken up with the EC and the German and Dutch authorities.

So far 32 cases of foot-and-mouth have been confirmed in the UK, with outbreaks identified in all parts of the UK.