asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if the practice of the spreading of waste from meat factories including blood and rumen contents on pasture lands accords with hygiene standards; the extent to which it constitutes a risk to the health of animals grazing on these and other adjoining lands; the extent to which the practice constitutes a risk to human health; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Waste from Meat Factories.
83.
The spreading of blood and rumen contents from meat factories on land is restricted by law where such action gives rise to the discharge of polluting matter into water or constitutes a statutory nuisance under the Public Health (Ireland) Act, 1878 as amended. The practice would not constitute a risk to animal health where such spreading is confined to arable land. However the spreading of this material on pasture is not advisable and is actively discouraged by my Department. I am not aware of the threat to human health provided suitable precautions are taken. The EC Commission has recently submitted a draft proposal to the Agriculture Council to regulate the disposal and processing of animal waste. I expect that any risk involved in the use of this material will be addressed in the consideration of this proposal by the Council.