French anger at BSE third way
French anger at BSE third way
By Philip Clarke
FRENCH farmers have reacted angrily to comments by their minister Jean Glavany that there may be a "third way" in which BSE is spreading through the nations cattle population.
Concerns have been raised because the disease is accelerating in France faster than expected. Already this year the country has had 16 official cases compared with 30 for the whole of 1999.
Conventional wisdom is that BSE is caused by cattle eating feed infected with the BSE agent, coupled with a degree of maternal transmission. But Mr Glavanys idea that something else is at play has fuelled the debate.
"Either the minister is saying too much or not enough," said the main French farming union, FNSEA. If the minister did have some new scientific information then he should publish it as a matter of urgency.
But the unions strong suspicion is that Mr Glavany has simply been floating his ideas to cover himself in the event of some future revelation about BSE. "If this is the case, then the method is contemptible," said an FNSEA statement. "No one with responsibilities has the right to play with public worries and fears in this way."
What form this "third way" may take is subject to speculation, though suggestions have included the possible use of nerve tissue in vaccinations and the ingestion of rogue prions from grazing pasture.
Mr Glavany later confirmed he had no new information, but was simply restating what French scientists have been saying for a while, "that if BSE does not decrease towards the end of 2001, then there may be a third way, which they have no proof of yet, but which they have no proof against".
Until recently, the view in France has been that BSE would fall away next year, since the average incubation period is five years, and it will be five years since meat and bonemeal was removed from ruminant rations. But last week the Food Standards Agency admitted the disease was more widespread than predicted and said BSE would still be around in 2010.
Conservative agriculture spokesman Tim Yeo said that at last the truth about BSE was being dragged out of a reluctant French government. "Britain should now ask the European Commission to review Frances BSE risk status and impose a precautionary ban on the import of French cattle products."
MAFF said this was not an option because France is not in contravention of EU law. *