Specified Risk Material and other BSE Controls Guidance Notes Northern Ireland

Friday 9 July 2004

The Food Standards Agency has updated the Specified Risk Material and other BSE Controls Guidance, which was distributed to Northern Ireland local authorities and other interested organisations in June 2003.

The main changes are listed below.

• Section 2 - the definitions of Specified Risk Material were amended in October 2003 - the chart has been updated to reflect this;
• Section 3.5 on the types of SRM that may be found has been expanded. This is to help with potential problems associated with the detection of illegal meat;
• Section 3.6 on private kills has been updated to reflect an amendment to EC Regulation 999/2001, and the new detailed guidance on the issue recently issued by FSA;
• Section 3.7 now clarifies the definition of mechanically recovered meat for the purposes of the TSE Regulations and the use of machinery for deboning cuts of meat. Following advice from the European Commission we now have a clear interpretation of the Regulation, which is included in the guidance;
• Section 4 on disposal has been revised to reflect the introduction of new animal by-products legislation last year;
• Annex C - the list of relevant legislation has been updated.