Tony Gregory
Ceist:540 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if cattle slaughtered under the BSE protection policy are then allowed into the food chain; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19284/96]
Written Answers. - BSE Protection Policy.
Meat from suspect BSE animals is not allowed into the food chain. As BSE is not an infectious disease and has not been found in meat, there is no scientific reason the meat from other animals slaughtered under my Department's policy of depopulating herds in which a case of BSE occurs cannot enter the food chain. However, in order to further reassure consumers, I recently announced that representative testing will be carried out on such animals, following slaughter, to confirm that BSE is not present. There is no scientific evidence that BSE can be transmitted to humans.