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SA meat scare unwarranted
22/05/2002 19:22 - (SA)
Pretoria - Recent speculations by a United Kingdom food agency that South African meat posed a higher risk of being contaminated by foot-and-mouth disease were untrue, the department of agriculture and land affairs said on Wednesday.
Departmental director-general Bongiwe Njobe, who expressed shock and concern about the allegations, said in a statement the UK Food and Standard Agency had no proof for the speculations.
"It is unfortunate that the agency can say our beef and related products might pose a higher BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy or mad-cow disease) risk without relevant facts to warrant this speculation," she said.
"The latter has never conducted any scientific studies or tests related to BSE status in our country."
On Monday, the agency warned consumers in Britain that meat from Polish, Zimbabwean, and South African cattle older that 30 months may pose a "slightly higher BSE risk" than other imported beef sold legally.
Departmental spokesperson Nana Zenani said these speculations in relation to South African meat were unfounded.
"The agency has never come here or spoke to our veterinarians
and we have never traded meat with them. It is wrong for them to
make such remarks without proof," she said.
The department said it was progressively up-dating its measures and surveillance system to strategically deal with risk associated diseases such as BSE.
Njobe said the department was engaging international experts to complement the strengthening of the surveillance system in order to respond to international requirements.
- SAPA
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