Written question asked by David Mowat (Conservative) on Monday, 20 February 2012, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 22 February 2012. It was answered by James Paice (Conservative) on Thursday, 1 March 2012 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Livestock: Waste Disposal

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to ensure that prions from previous disposals of carcasses infected with or believed to be infected with BSE are not released into (a) the environment and (b) upwind of or near residential areas.

Answer: It was Government policy to dispose of BSE suspects by incineration wherever possible. When burial was permitted it should have complied with the then applicable Codes of Good Agricultural Practice in order to protect the water, soil and air.The former Scientific Steering Committee (later succeeded by the European Food Safety Authority) which was set up by the European Commission to cover consumer health and food safety issues provided the following scientific opinion which was adopted at its meeting on 24-25 June 1999:"““For animals and materials that carry an actual or suspected TSE risk, incineration or burning after previous rendering at least ““133°C/20Y3 bars”” (or validated equivalent) are considered to be the safest ways of disposal””."

Secondary information