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From: TSS ()
Subject: Monthly report of specified risk material and other BSE control breaches for February 2007 FSA
Date: April 17, 2007 at 10:20 am PST

Monthly report of specified risk material and other BSE control breaches for February 2007
Tuesday 17 April 2007

The following report from the Food Standards Agency provides a monthly update on specified risk material (SRM) finds and related issues. These SRM reports are posted on the Agency’s website normally during the second week of each month.

Publication of the February 2007 report has been delayed to enable the collation and confirmation of the details of the incidents included in this report, which involve a larger number of plants than usual.

Imported SRM breaches
On 9 February 2007, the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) reported the discovery of spinal cord, which is SRM, in a forequarter of fresh beef despatched from the Republic of Ireland to an approved cutting plant in England.

The spinal cord should have been removed at the slaughterhouse in the Republic of Ireland, AIBP (Clones) Ltd, Co. Monaghan prior to despatch.

The breach was discovered at ABP Shrewsbury and was part of a consignment of 220 beef quarters.

The receiving company, ABP Shrewsbury, was not responsible for the breach.

The remainder of the consignment was checked and found to be clear of SRM. The affected forequarter was condemned.

Between 14 December 2006 and 13 February 2007, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland (DARD), reported 21 separate incidents where tonsillar material, which is SRM, was discovered in bovine heads originating from eight separate plants in the Republic of Ireland (details of all the plants are provided in the accompanying tables of breaches).

The material was discovered at Eurostock Foods Newry Ltd, a licensed cutting plant in Northern Ireland. The tonsillar material should have been removed in the Republic of Ireland prior to despatch. The receiving company, Eurostock Foods Newry Ltd, was not responsible for the breaches.

The affected heads were condemned.

The Department of Agriculture and Food in the Republic of Ireland has been informed of these incidents.

Domestic SRM breaches reported over the past month
There are no domestic SRM breaches to report.

Background on SRM issues

SRM is that part of the animal most likely to contain BSE infectivity
The SRM controls remove over 99% of BSE infectivity that may be present in cattle
Under European Union (EU) law, SRM must be removed as soon as possible after slaughter, stained and disposed of safely

http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2007/apr/srmupdate0407

TSS

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