BSE still found in older cattle
2 May 2001
BSE still found in older cattle
By FWi staff
BSE controls keeping older cattle out of the food chain look set to continue for some time as new figures indicate little change in numbers testing positive.
Latest tests, on 9526 cattle aged over five years slaughtered under the Over Thirty Months Scheme (OTMS), found that 0.41% (39) tested positive.
These results, taken from cattle tested between May and December last year, were disclosed by Agriculture Minister Nick Brown in a Commons written reply.
This is only a slight improvement on a 1999 survey of 3951 cattle in which 0.45% (18) were found to have the disease.
“These results will be used to evaluate results of additional surveys of fallen stock or casualties, and to enable the decline of the BSE epidemic in Britain to be more fully analysed, said Mr Brown.
Under the OTMS, none of the cattle tested had gone into the food chain.
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