A Taste of Wellness for Savoury and Snacks
Givaudan
Spinal cord has been found again in two separate consignments of beef imported into the UK from Germany, bringing the total to 16 for German imported beef since the SRM ban started.
Bovine spinal cord is classified as specified risk material (SRM) and is therefore among those parts of the animal most likely to contain BSE infectivity. Under European law, SRM must be removed immediately after slaughter, stained, and disposed of safely.
According to the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), both discoveries were made during an inspection by the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) on 28 October.
The first case involved one hindquarter carcass out of a consignment of 165 beef hindquarters. The second similarly involved one hindquarter carcass out of a consignment of 160. Both consignments were unloaded at ADM (UK) in Eastbourne. The receiving company was not responsible for the problem, stressed the FSA.
These SRM breaches are the fifteenth and sixteenth cases involving imported German beef, and are also the seventh and eighth cases (seven of them German) of SRM being found in imported intervention beef in the last three months.
The Food Standards Agency took up the issue of SRM in ex-intervention beef - intervention being the EU market support measure whereby the EU buys beef when market prices fall below a certain level and releases it back onto market when prices recover - with the European Commission last month. As a result the Commission has instructed all EU Member States selling intervention beef to ensure that all spinal cord is removed before release.