As mentioned above, CA wrote about BSE in our magazines in 1989. The submission detailed a raft of new measures which CA considered appropriate for a truly precautionary approach in view of the possible implications if BSE could be transmitted to humans. Many of these suggestions were dismissed at the time as unnecessary, and were then introduced in later years. In 1993, CA became concerned about the consumption of six year old intervention beef. Along with many others, CA was concerned about the safety and quality of this beef and the lack of labelling to enable consumers to distinguish the six-year old beef.
Appendices VIIk to VIIl detail the correspondence.
I wrote again to pursue the issue. This was repeated in a letter to David MacLean in March 1990 and the evidence of the Agriculture Committee in 1990. In the event of any delay in implementing the SBO ban, we called for labelling of foods which may contain beef brains. CA welcomed the SBO ban in 1989. If there has to be a significant delay, we think labelling of meat products which may be affected should be improved to make it absolutely clear which may contain beef brains.