Monthly Report of specified risk material and other BSE Control breaches for May 2006
Monday 12 June 2006
The following report from the Food Standards Agency provides a monthly update on specified risk material (SRM) finds and related issues. These SRM reports are posted on the Agency's website normally during the second week of each month.
All the meat detailed in this report has been detained for disposal under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD). Therefore, none of this meat has entered the food supply.
SRM breaches reported over the past month
Imported SRM breach
There have been no imported SRM breaches reported in May 2006
Domestic SRM breach
On 16 May 2006 DARD, which enforces the regulations in Northern Ireland on behalf of the FSA, a role similar to that of the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) in the rest of the UK, reported the discovery of approximately 3cm of spinal cord, which is SRM, in an over thirty month (OTM) carcass-quarter of a health-marked bovine slaughtered on 12 May 2006.
The breach was discovered at ABP Lurgan, an approved slaughterhouse and cutting plant in Northern Ireland, and was part of a consignment of 200 fresh quarter carcasses from animals slaughtered in the UK. The spinal cord should have been removed at the slaughterhouse in England, ABP Shrewsbury, prior to despatch to the cutting plant. The receiving establishment was not responsible for the breach.
The remainder of the consignment was checked and found to be clear of SRM. The affected quarter has been condemned. Since the breach occurred at an establishment in England, the MHS launched a full investigation into the incident. This found that agreed protocols were in place and that all staff were aware of them. Since no other contributory factors could be identified, it concluded that the failure was caused by human error. Procedures have been strengthened to minimise the risk of the problem arising again.
Background on SRM issues
- SRM is that part of the animal most likely to contain BSE infectivity
- SRM controls remove over 99% of BSE infectivity that may be present in cattle
- Under European Union (EU) law, SRM must be removed as soon as possible after slaughter, stained and disposed of safely