The Scottish government has announced that it is a step closer to BSE negligible-risk status. This comes after the World Organisation for Animal Health’s (OIE) scientific commission recommended that Scotland be recognised as an area of the UK having negligible-risk status. This recommendation will need to be passed by the OIE general assembly of delegates at its meeting in late May 2017.

Before the May meeting, any other country has the ability to ask for the papers and pose questions, which has the potential to delay the process. Along with Northern Ireland, Scotland hopes to become the first region of the UK awarded BSE negligible-risk status. Scotland has been BSE-free since 2009, and has had no cases of BSE in animals born since 2005.

Specified risk material

The status could be worth millions of pounds to the beef sector as more parts of the animal could be used and more export markets could be opened up. Currently, a considerable amount of specified risk material (SRM) from bovine carcases has to be destroyed. BSE negligible-risk status allows these SRMs to be reviewed, with the potential for more material being utilised. The most likely destination would be pet food and oil extraction.

However, this is not a fait accompli, as to roll back requires further legislative change at EU level. This would require the UK to successfully argue that it would be able to cope with two sets of status requirements with two classifications of beef carcases in the food chain. Nevertheless, Scotland’s farm assurance SPEC checker is well placed to divide animals into Scottish and non-Scottish.

We applaud the work done by the cabinet secretary for rural economy and connectivity

The international reputation for Scottish beef will be strengthened with the negligible risk status.

Overseas markets could open up as new destinations for beef and beef products. Once again, this is not a simple picture, as BSE status is often just one of suite of non-tariff barriers which hold up trade. Nevertheless, this is a step in the right direction.

The move was welcomed by Allan Jess, president of Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers. He said: “We applaud the work done by the cabinet secretary for rural economy and connectivity, Fergus Ewing, and his officials, in advancing and pursuing the negligible-risk case on the industry’s behalf and look forward to being free to trade under our new status by as early as the summer.”

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