Food Standards Agency
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Listen to this siteFriday 28 March 2003
Ref: R650 - 39
The Food Standards Agency today launched a written consultation as part of the review of the Over Thirty Months Rule (OTM). Responses are sought to the consultation, which will last for 12 weeks. The written consultation follows a programme of stakeholder meetings, risk assessment, and a public meeting to discuss issues raised in the review, which was held on 7 March 2003.
The Rule is one of the three main BSE control measures. The removal of SRM (Specified Risk Material) removes over 95% of the infectivity in an animal infected with BSE. The third measure is the ban on feeding meat and bone meal to all farm animals, which was introduced in 1996.
The OTM rule prohibits, in the UK, the sale of meat for human consumption from cattle aged over 30 months at slaughter. The Food Standards Agency review is considering whether the rule should be replaced by BSE testing, which is the measure taken in other European Union countries, to provide acceptable levels of public protection.
Sir John Krebs, Chair of the FSA, said:
'There has already been extensive and vigorous discussion during the review process of the Over Thirty Months rule. We are keen to ensure that this consultation process continues to be open and thorough, and we welcome responses to this written consultation over the next twelve weeks.
'Protection of public health will remain the top priority in any decision making on this issue. The risk assessment has shown that any risk resulting from a change in the rule would be very small. Options that are emerging as those which may be most appropriate to consider include complete removal of the rule, or allowing animals born after 1 August 1996 into the food chain.'
The full consultation document is available at the link below
Responses to the consultation should be sent to
David Carruthers, OTM Rule Review UK Project Manager,
Room 307c, Food Standards Agency,
Aviation House,
125 Kingsway,
London,
WC2B 6NH
or by email to
David.Carruthers@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
by 20 June 2003.
Room 245 Aviation House,
125 Kingsway,
London WC2B 6NH
Telephone: 020 7276 8888
Out of hours duty pager: 07623 978344
Fax: 020 7276 8833
Email:
press.mailbox@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
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