Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 10 Dec 2002

Vol. 559 No. 1

Written Answers. - Food Safety Measures.

Mary Upton

Ceist:

174 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food his views on recent studies by a person (details supplied) which point to the potential presence of prions which cause VCJD in the muscles and flesh of cattle and sheep; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25866/02]

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

I can assure the Deputy that experts in my Department, in the EU Scientific Steering Committee and elsewhere in the EU are taking a close interest in the work at the University of California.

In relation to the paper from the team referred to, indicating that certain skeletal muscles of mice experimentally infected with scrapie may contain infectivity and may reproduce prions, the EU's scientific steering committee has concluded that the parameters of the research do not justify its extrapolation into BSE in cattle, and that there is no reason to revise its opinions with regard to the safety of bovine and sheep muscles.

In addition, the results of other experiments in relation to possible infectivity in the muscle tissues of cattle and sheep, including work reported by the French Food Safety Authority on 27 March 2002, have been consistently negative.

Consumers and others can be assured that a comprehensive range of measures remains in place in Ireland for the control and eradication of BSE. If any adjustments are deemed necessary in the light of operational experience, or in the light of new scientific work carried, they will be made. It is not considered, however, that the work referred to at this point warrants any changes to the comprehensive control system already operating in Ireland.