Regulator outlines foot-and-mouth prevention plan for bloc
prevent foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease from entering the bloc again,
calling for more controls on the import of animals, meat and meat
products.
While the disease has been successfully eradicated from the EU, a new emerging strain of Asia 1 FMD, present in Central Asia and China, is of particular concern as established control programmes need to be adapted to combat the emerging threat.
Diseases such as FMD, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and the current outbreak of avian influenza in the EU has led to falls in consumption and supply of the consumption of the affected animals.
The disease has severe economic consequences for the agricultural sector and thus profoundly impacts on the livelihoods of rural communities. It also has a major impact on international trade.
The last major FMD outbreak in Europe started in the UK in 2001 and spread to several other member states before it was eradicated. The outbreak is estimated to have cost up to €12 billion and had a severe social and economic impact on the affected agricultural communities, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said in a risk analysis published yesterday.
EFSA recommends a three-pronged risk reduction strategy focused on controlling the disease "at source". The approach calls for more regional control programmes, a global surveillance system to reduce FMD risk in all regions; and the promotion of safe trading of livestock commodities through formal channels.
The main risk of food and mouth disease entering the EU is through the import of infected animals or meat and meat products containing the virus, EUFSA stated. FMD is a viral disease which principally affects cattle, sheep, goats and pigs and is not of concern to human health.
The risk sources are primarily South East Asia and China, South Asia and to a lesser extent Eastern Africa and the Sahel region of Africa. Import controls in place in the EU protect the bloc's livestock from FMD.
"However, it is impossible to stop every illegal import at the EU's borders," EFSA stated. "With the constant growth of animal movements and imports of meat and meat products into the EU, illegal imports are also increasing and are difficult to control. Incentives for profit and demand for ethnic and cultural foods, not so easily available in the EU, are continually adding pressure to EU control mechanisms through illegal imports."
Growth in international travel from endemic areas is also increasing the number of illegal imports of meat and meat products in passengers' luggage crossing EU borders.
