Written question asked by Colin Challen (Labour) on Thursday, 4 July 2002, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 24 July 2002. It was answered by Hazel Blears (Labour) on Wednesday, 24 July 2002 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what scientific evidence she has collated that supports the proposed ban on the use of sheep's intestines in the manufacture of sausages. - Inc fact that copy of the report can be found at www.food.gov.uk.

Answer: Mr. Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what scientific evidence she has collated that supports the proposed ban on the use of sheep's intestines in the manufacture of sausages. [68068] Ms Blears: I have been asked to reply. I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that the basis of their recommendation to the European Commission that sheep intestine be banned as specified risk material (SRM) is outlined in a report by a core group of stakeholders endorsed by the Board of the FSA on 13 June 2002. The risk assessments taken into account in this report indicate that the proposed ban, added to the current controls, could increase the reduction in potential infectivity entering the food chain to up to two-thirds if BSE were found in sheep. Current precautionary SRM measures are estimated to reduce risk by very approximately one-third. The FSA believes the proposed measure has to be considered in the context of the lives that might be saved from variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (vCJD) if BSE were present in sheep. A copy of the report can be found on the FSA's website www.food.gov.uk

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 68068; 389 c1156-7W;389 c1154-5W
Session: 2001-02
Subjects: Contamination Disease control Food Food Standards Agency Meat products Safety Sheep BSE Sausages
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk