Animals test negative after BSE control breach

Wednesday 23 July 2008

The Food Standards Agency has been notified of an incident relating to over thirty months (OTM) cattle slaughtered on Friday 23 May 2008 at Alec Jarrett Ltd in Oldland Common, South Gloucestershire.

All OTM cattle are routinely tested for BSE when they are slaughtered and are only allowed to enter the food supply provided they have tested negative for BSE. If there is no negative test result, all parts of the OTM carcass must be condemned.

Although 197 OTM cattle were slaughtered on 23 May 2008 at Alec Jarrett Ltd, 198 brain stem samples were submitted for BSE testing. There were two brain stem samples in one of the pots containing the samples. All the samples tested negative for BSE.

Subsequent DNA tests of 14 OTM carcases and 15 associated brain stem samples showed that there had been a breakdown in correlation between some of the carcasses and brain stem samples. DNA matches were found for all 14 OTM carcasses, including the two brain stem samples submitted in one pot and those from the first and last OTM cattle slaughtered that day. It was not possible to obtain a DNA profile for one of the brain stem samples as it was not in a suitable condition for DNA testing.

A formal investigation of the incident is under way. Meanwhile, additional safeguards and supervision have been put in place at the abattoir.

Background to BSE testing
Since 7 November 2005, when the previous ban on OTM cattle was replaced by BSE testing, over a million OTM cattle have been slaughtered in the UK for human consumption.