Wholesalers body welcomes bid to get BSE status changed

food: Fergus Ewing also announces consultation

The Government has taken the first step towards securing a change in Scotland’s BSE status, a move which could open new markets for Scottish beef.

Scotland has been BSE-free since 2009 which makes the country eligible to make an application to the World Organisation for Animal Health for a change in status to negligible risk status.

However, before making that call, rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing has announced a consultation which will run for five weeks until the end of September.

He said it was necessary to consider all the implications of such a development and hear the views of stakeholders, including retailers, public health specialists and consumers.

“It is vital in the current climate of uncertainty that we consider all opportunities to drive forward Scotland’s rural economy and seek to develop Scotland’s larder,” he said.

“There is considerable support for the view that if Scotland could be upgraded to BSE negligible risk status, it would provide an improved global image for Scottish agriculture, offering a potential trade advantage in terms of gaining entry into new markets.”

The move was immediately welcomed by the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers.

A spokesman said: “While the measures which were originally put in place were quite rightly introduced to safeguard consumers, the disease-free record of the Scottish industry in recent years now justifies a move to negligible risk status.”

The diseasefree record of the Scottish industry in recent years now justifies a move to negligible risk status. SAMW SPOKESMAN

Scotland has been BSE-free since 2009.