Officially tuberculosis-free status and dairy hygiene legislation: Guidance notes for Wales

Thursday 31 March 2005

This guidance provides information and advice to food authorities in Wales who have dairy herds and/or dairy establishments in their area producing raw cows� drinking milk and/or unpasteurised milk-based products.

The advice will assist those who may be involved with investigations following notification from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) of the loss of Officially Tuberculosis Free status (OTF) of dairy herds.

This guidance has been produced by the Food Standards Agency, in consultation with stakeholders, and replaces earlier guidance circulated by the Welsh Office in March 2000. A copy of the updated guidance is available fom the link below.

A key element of the guidance are the factors to be considered as part of a risk assessment for raw milk products made prior to the loss of OTF status. The guidance seeks to provide both EHOs and producers with increased information when facing this situation and the detail relating to a number of the risk assessment factors has been expanded.

The consolidated European Hygiene regulations were adopted in April 2004 and will be applied in Wales by The Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations 2005 from 1 January 2006. To avoid the need to issue another version in January 2006, this update provides references to both the Dairy Products (Hygiene) Regulations 1995 (as amended) and the consolidated hygiene legislation.