Beef safety leaflet for shoppers
Wednesday 18 July 2001
A free and handy shopper's guide to beef safety and BSE has been produced by the Food Standards Agency and the Consumers Association. 'BSE and Beef' / 'BSE a Chig Eidion' tells consumers what is being done to protect them from the disease and what the different labels found on meat mean.
Consumers get the low down on BSE
Publication of the leaflet coincides with encouraging results from the latest round of BSE tests conducted on healthy cattle across the European Union. Of 2.3 million healthy animals tested during the first five months of the year, 90 tested positive.
Available in Welsh and English, 'BSE & Beef' / 'BSE a Chig Eidion' describes in layman's terms what controls are in place to stop BSE spreading and to keep the consumer safe. It also tells shoppers:
-Which parts of the cattle have to be removed before going on sale
-How old cattle has to be when it is slaughtered for sale
-Which countries have reported cases of BSE
-Which countries are unlikely to have cases of BSE
To help shoppers get to grips with the range of labels put on meat packaging, the leaflet also provides a quick reference guide to:
-Use by dates
-The health mark
-The British farm standard symbol
-What should go on to compulsory labels
-Flags and details of country of origin
Joy Whinney, Director of the Food Standards Agency Wales says the leaflet pulls together some of the more useful information about BSE.
"We hear a lot about BSE, and the disease quite rightly remains a concern for many consumers who want to make an informed choice when buying beef. This leaflet is a user-friendly guide explaining what?s being done to protect them, and gives pointers on what to look for when buying beef.
"The EU programme of testing animals destined for the food chain shows a very low level of BSE cases. That suggests that there is no massive, hidden epidemic of BSE in Europe and although this is encouraging, we cannot be complacent. That is why the Food Standards Agency continues with 100 per cent checks on imported beef, will not tolerate any breaches of the BSE controls, and will examine any new evidence rigorously."
Sue Davies, Principal Policy Adviser at the Consumers' Association says: "BSE may still be a worry for many consumers - whilst controls in the UK to make sure BSE doesn't enter the food chain are thorough, questions still remain. Is there a risk from eating beef from outside the UK, for example? This leaflet will answer many questions about beef safety, and provide sources for further information so consumers can make informed choices when they're buying beef."
Copies of 'BSE & Beef' / 'BSE A Chig Eidion' can be ordered from the Publications Section, Food Standards Agency Wales, First Floor, Southgate House, Wood Street, Cardiff CF10 1EW or by e-mail
to wales@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk
Please state whether you require a Welsh version, English version or both.
An English language version of the leaflet can also be found on the BSE website at
www.bsereview.org.uk
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The 90 healthy animals that tested positively were in Spain (22 positives from 96,312 tested); France (25 from 801,844); Germany (18 from 868,541); Belgium (11 from 122,416); Italy (10 from 90,541); The Netherlands (2 from 120,873), and the Republic of Ireland (2 from 84,458). No positives were reported out of the 171 healthy animals tested in Great Britain.
ENDS
1st Floor, Southgate House,
Wood Street,
Cardiff CF10 1EW
Telephone: 029 20 678915
Fax: 029 20 678918/9
Email: kathryn.corcoran@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk