000223 France Under Fire Over Mad Cow PrecautionsFebruary 12, 2000 Brussels - France, which defied a European Union decision to lift a ban on British beef, came under fire on Saturday in an EU report which found fault with its controls on cattle feed imposed in the wake of the mad cow disease scare.The just-published report of an EU veterinary mission to France in June 1999 said traces of meat and bone meal continued to be found in cattle feed in France even though use of animal proteins in cattle feed was banned in July 1996. Scientific tests as far back as 1987 found that meat and bone meal from cattle was the likely cause of transmission of mad cow disease or BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy). The EU report, published on the Commission's web site, also found that, while the incidence of mad cow disease in France appeared to be moderate, a study of the data showed that underreporting of suspected cases could not be ruled out. The findings could embarrass the French government, which has defied its European partners to maintain a British beef ban on the grounds that safety measures were still not foolproof. The EU's executive Commission took France to the European Court of Justice last month over its refusal to lift the ban even though EU states agreed in August to end the embargo imposed in 1996. France has reported 82 cases of BSE since it began tracking the disease. Beate Gminder, spokeswoman for EU Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne, said cattle feed sometimes became accidentally contaminated with feed intended for pigs or poultry which can still contain animal protein, but this had to be controlled by member states. “We had discussions with French authorities. They have said they are going to correct it,” she said. She said Byrne would this spring propose an EU-wide system for testing cattle at risk of BSE. Feed Sampling Should Be Increased The EU veterinary report recommended that clear instructions be given to the French feed industry on how to avoid cross-contamination of feeds and sampling of cattle feed to check compliance should be stepped up. It said 4.2% of samples of cattle feed analyzed in the first five months of 1999 contained traces of meat and bone meal while 1.4% contained more than a trace. It said authorities did not provide systematic training to the feed industry on how to avoid cross-contamination of animal feeds and an EU law requiring other feeds to be labeled “Not for ruminants” was not complied with in two French feed plants visited by the inspectors. On surveillance of BSE, the report said training given to veterinary inspectors in slaughterhouses and to farmers on spotting signs of mad cow disease was not satisfactory. “Notification of suspect BSE cases by farmers occurs with a certain hesitation and a considerable delay in some cases,” it said. There was no immediate reaction to the report from French authorities. France said in late January it would set up a screening program in the next few weeks to check that cattle ready for slaughter were not infected with mad cow disease. It is the second time France has been criticised over feed controls recently. Last October, the European Commission warned Paris to improve controls in rendering plants after its inspectors found some had passed on sewage sludge to animal feed makers.
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