Brussels to demand scrapie testing

22 May 2001



Brussels to demand scrapie testing

By Philip Clarke, Europe editor

BRUSSELS plans to introduce compulsory testing for scrapie in sheep as it steps up its drive against BSE-style diseases.

Food Safety Commissioner David Byrne said testing would focus on two target groups – healthy slaughtered animals and animals which die on farms.

“This will hopefully improve our current knowledge of the true extent of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in small ruminants.”

Mr Byrne also suggested reducing the age for testing “at risk” cattle in the European Union from 30 months to 24 months.

Currently all animals over 30 months intended for human consumption must be tested for BSE, but there is also random testing of so-called a-risk animals.

These include fallen stock, sick animals and those sent for emergency slaughter.

Some 84 cases of BSE have been discovered in the EU following tests on over 150,000 at-risk animals, according to results since 1 January.

Mr Byrne explained that the youngest cases so far were 42 months old. But it was still wise to reduce the age for testing at-risk animals.

“This will serve as an early warning system if there is indeed an emerging problem in relation to BSE in younger animals.”

Mr Byrne planned to put this proposal to EU vets on 8 June, but he rejected it to pleas from France and Germany to test all animals at 24 months.

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