EFSA defers SRM decision again

The European Food Safety Authority has again deferred its decision on the lifting of SRM removal restrictions in cattle aged over 24 months until next week.

The delay by EFSA's biohaz committee is likely to further infuriate UK meat leaders who were told in March that the decision would be published on 18-19 April, before shifting to 2 May.

The Scottish beef industry is particularly keen for the age limit to be raised to 30 months and has been actively lobbying Brussels.

Less than a fortnight ago the UK beef industry asked Markos Kyprianou, EU commissioner for health and consumer protection, in a letter drafted by the UECBV) the European Meat Trading Union), to look into EU's tardiness in responding with action.

Both NFU Scotland and the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers have argued that rigid enforcement has had a considerable impact on UK and Scottish beef with costly distortion to trade, particularly at traditional wholesaler and catering/independent retail butcher level.

This, said the two bodies, was due to around 50% of its prime cattle marketing being between 24 and 30 months of age, creating a two-tier market as processors competed to get cattle below the age limit.

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