Specified risk material and other BSE control breaches August 2006
Wednesday 20 September 2006
Each month, the Food Standards Agency provides an 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.
Email alerts for these reports and other BSE stories can be obtained by signing up via the website at Find out more about email updates.
SRM breaches reported over the past month
The FSA, in conjunction with the Meat Hygiene Service and DARD in Northern Ireland, has been carrying out a survey of compliance at cutting plants with legislation relating to the removal and disposal of vertebral column SRM from 24-30 month old cattle.
This legislation was introduced following the lifting of the beef export ban, when UK BSE controls were harmonised with those in the rest of Europe. The results of this survey are being collated and will be published on the website when the full report is available.
There are no other SRM breaches to report.
- SRM is that part of the animal most likely to contain BSE infectivity
- The 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