Agency action on Specified Risk Material (SRM) breach

Friday 11 July 2008

The Food Standards Agency has been informed by the Swedish authorities that food products derived from SRM from cattle more than 30 months old has been exported to the UK.

Between 28 April and 13 June, seven Swedish cutting plants had been incorrectly sorting over 30 month bovine vertebral column SRM and supplying it to the Swedish company Ellco Food AB as bones intended for food production. SRM is prohibited for use in food and feed.

Ellco Food AB then exported some of the products containing SRM to the UK. As soon as the FSA received the information from Sweden, it took swift action to locate the products imported directly into the UK and has stopped any of this material getting into the food chain.

However, some product made from SRM was exported from Sweden to Belgium and Wouters NV of Belgium re-exported 25 tonnes of refined beef fat to Jennings Food Service in Darlington. This company then sold on the beef fat to catering suppliers. All of the fat will have been used. Jennings Food Service acted in good faith when distributing this product and has co-operated at all times with the Agency.

The risk to public health is negligible – all of the animals from which the vertebral column SRM came tested negative for BSE. All the animals concerned were born, reared and slaughtered in Sweden, which has only ever had one confirmed case of the disease in its cattle population.