EFSA provides update on plans to assess the safety of goat meat and
goat meat products with regard to BSE/TSE
Last updated: 31 January 2005
The European Food Safety Authoritys (EFSA) Scientific Panel on
Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) provided an update today on its plans to
assess possible risks associated with the consumption of goat meat. The
BIOHAZ Panel has undertaken this work following findings of a research
group in France concerning a suspected case of Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) infection in a goat, confirmed today by the
Community Reference Laboratory (CRL). On 26 November 2004, EFSA
published a statement on the safety of goat milk and derived products
with regard to possible risks from BSE/TSE (Transmissible Spongiform
Encephalopathy).
* 35 kB Press release
EFSA provides update on plans to assess the safety of
goat meat and goat meat products with regard to BSE/TSE
The European Food Safety Authoritys (EFSA) Scientific Panel on
Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ) provided an update today on its plans to
assess possible risks associated with the consumption of goat meat. The
BIOHAZ Panel has undertaken this work following findings of a research
group in Franceconcerning a suspected case of Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) infection in a goat, confirmed today by the
Community Reference Laboratory (CRL)[1]
.
On 26 November 2004, EFSA published a statement on the safety of goat
milk and derived products with regard to possible risks from BSE/TSE
(Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy)[2]
.
The BIOHAZ Panel reaffirmed today that important information gaps do not
allow, at this stage, the quantification of BSE-related risks with
regard to the consumption of goat meat. The Panel stresses that the
significance of this single case of BSE infection in a goat in Franceis
yet to be assessed. In order to do so, the results of the increased
monitoring of TSEs in goats as proposed by the European Commission[3]
will be essential. The BIOHAZ Panels ability to carry out a
quantitative risk assessment will be determined by the availability of
the monitoring results and further experimental and epidemiological
data. The success of its work will also depend on access to unpublished
findings from MemberStatesand third countries. EFSA will review progress
with members of its Advisory Forum at a meeting scheduled next week
following a call for data launched in November 2004. The BIOHAZ Panel
expects to provide further advice relating to the safety of goat meat
and goat meat products by July 2005.
The full text of the statement of the BIOHAZ Panel on the assessment of
safety with respect to the consumption of goat meat and goat meat
products in relation to BSE/TSE is available on the EFSA website at:
http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/biohaz/biohaz_documents/787_en.html
For media enquiries, please contact:
Carola Sondermann, Senior Press Officer
Tel: +32 2 337 2294
Carola.Sondermann@efsa.eu.int
Or
Anne-Laure Gassin, EFSA Communications Director,
Tel : +32 2 337 2248
GSM: +32 478 330 19 68
Anne-Laure.Gassin@efsa.eu.int
For more background information about the European Food Safety
Authority, go to: http://www.efsa.eu.int/
_________________________________
[1]
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/food/biosafety/bse/crl_statement_tse_goats_28-01-05_en.pdf
[2]
Statement of the EFSA Scientific Expert Working Group on BSE/TSE of the
Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards on the health risks of the
consumption of milk and milk derived products from goats.
http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/biohaz/biohaz_documents/709/bdoc_statement_goatsmilk_en1.pdf
[3]
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/105&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
Publication date: 28 January 2005
http://www.efsa.eu.int/press_room/press_release/790_en.html
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