Food safety alert to Malta stopped importation of non-BSE tested meat

Meat exported to Malta that was suspected of not having been tested for BSE, commonly known as mad cow disease, was intercepted by Maltese authorities on a food safety alert issued in August 2012.

Food safety bosses in the UK last week revealed two separate incidents in which three cattle over 72 months old entered the food chain without being tested for BSE.

The first incident happened in August 2012 at S J Norman & Sons abattoir in Bridport, where two cattle were slaughtered and not tested before leaving the premises. The error was later discovered in October following routine cross-checking.

In a statement, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said: "Meat from these animals was mixed up with other consignments. Most of the meat had been processed or sold on to the end-consumer and was no longer in the food supply chain. Of the remaining meat, 1,720kg was traced to a cold storage facility in Essex. It was disposed of and did not enter the food supply. A further 233kg had been exported to Malta and the Maltese authorities were informed."

The second incident took place at High Peak Meats Exports abattoir in Nantwich, in March 2012, with the error being uncovered at the end of May.

The agency stressed the risk to human health was "very low", and said it was considering its options in respect of the suppliers involved.