Food Safety News

 

Huffington Post UK posted on January 7, 2013 that bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in milk had been detected from cattle infected with the disease.

On July 1^st the British government admitted they have been selling infected cattle. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) insisted the meat posed no risk to health. The infected meat is banned by restaurants and most major supermarkets but the government, which pays farmers if their cattle have to be slaughtered, has been selling the carcasses to hospitals and the nation's military, the Mirror said.

A spokeswoman from DEFRA said: "All meat from cattle slaughtered due to bovine TB must undergo rigorous food safety checks before it can be passed fit for consumption.” It is important to note that meat from infected cattle is not marked in any way to distinguish it.

"The Food Standards Agency has confirmed there are no known cases where TB has been transmitted through eating meat and the risk of infection from eating meat, even if raw or undercooked, remains extremely low." It was reported that around 28,000 infected animals are traded each year. “Only about 40 Britons a year are diagnosed with the bovine strain of TB, whereas about 9,000 are diagnosed with the human strain.”

The Sunday Times reported that DEFRA's reassurances contrasted with experts' warnings, which have said rising levels of bTB in cattle are becoming a serious threat to human health.

I say people should know what they are eating. The source of meat should be stated on meat labels. People should be informed so they can make the right choice.

Facts on Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB)

  ·         It is a chronic and infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis.     

  ·         It is one of  the world's most serious animal health problems and is an important public health concern.   

  ·         It is mainly a respiratory disease and is transmitted primarily through aerosols.  

  ·         It is a chronic and contagious disease of livestock, wildlife and humans.

  ·         The most common means humans acquire bTB is through the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products or insufficiently cooked animal products from BTB-infected animal.

  ·         In Europe, the main source of infection comes from the badgers. Large numbers are slaughtered to control its spread. Primary agent is the cattle. Other animals such as deer, monkeys, opossums, and elephants have been infected too.

  ·         It can also be transmitted from cow to calf in utero or through infected milk.

  ·         It is found in areas where intensive dairy systems are practiced and in cattle kept indoors at a higher population density than in cattle kept on pasture.  

  ·         The Cooperative Federal-State-Industry effort to eradicate bovine TB from cattle in the US has made significant progress since the program’s inception in 1917. The disease has nearly been eliminated from the livestock population of the US. However, their ultimate goal of eradication remains elusive as animal health officials continue to detect TB sporadically in livestock herds.

  ·         The US Federal and State Animal Health Officials jointly conduct monthly surveillance for bovine tuberculosis. When infected animals are identified, officials investigate these cases to determine if additional animals or herds of animals are infected.

  ·         It was reported that there were 16 affected cattle between October, 2012 to May, 2013 primarily in Michigan and a dairy farm in California. In Michigan this problem remains a challenge in their livestock and wildlife for the past 15 years. Its geographical location plays a major role.

  ·         Disease eradication is done in two ways. One is whole herd depopulation and the other is whole herd testing and removal plan. Increased cooperation between regulatory agencies, hunters, local business owners, and livestock industry partners is needed to complete its eradication. Additional research and surveillance that is less costly are also needed.