WRITTEN QUESTION E-2601/01

by Hiltrud Breyer (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(26 September 2001)

Subject: Risk to consumers caused by germ contamination of meat

1. Is the Commission aware that the stress caused to animals when being transported can result in massive infiltration of germs into their intestinal mucous membranes, which passes from there via the lymph and blood systems into the entire organism, with a result that eating organs such as the liver and spleen in particular, but also muscle meat, can produce food poisoning in consumers, which in severe cases can prove fatal?

2. Even on relatively unstressful journeys tests have found intestinal germs in the carcasses of 20 to 25 % of animals. As the animals affected appear to be healthy, bacteriological tests are not usually carried out and the consumer is therefore not protected from stress-related germ-contamination of meat. Is the Commission making any effort to tackle this consumer protection problem, and if so how?

3. It has to be assumed that animals for slaughter are subject to stress not related to transport. Is the Commission aware of this risk to consumers? What measures to prevent stress in animals for slaughter has the Commission adopted, and what checks are carried out on compliance with the existing rules?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(31 October 2001)

The Commission is aware that physiological changes may be induced in animals by stress, as referred to by the Honourable Member. Community legislation takes account of relevant scientific and technical knowledge in the fields of food hygiene and animal welfare.

At present, Community legislation, addressed to Member States and implemented under the responsibility of their competent authorities, provides for a considerable number of measures to ensure the safety and suitability of fresh meat. In particular, these measures are to be found in Council Directive 64/433/EEC of 26 June 1964 on health problems affecting intra-Community trade in fresh meat(1), Council Directive 91/628/EEC of 19 November 1991, on the protection of animals during transport(2) and Council Directive 93/119/EC of 22 December 1993 on the protection of animals at the time of slaughter or killing(3). Great importance is attached in the first Directive to the hygienic production of meat, and, in the other Directives, to the avoidance of stress in animals during loading, transport, unloading and handling of the animals up to and including stunning or slaughter.

The opinion of the Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures relating to Public Health (SCVMPH) on Food-borne Zoonoses of 12 April 2000(4) emphasises the ubiquitous nature and/or multiple sources of certain pathogenic micro-organisms on the route from farm to fork. The opinion also makes some suggestions in relation to their prevention or management. The Commission recently adopted Decision 2001/471/EC of 8 June 2001 laying down rules for regular checks on the general hygiene carried out by the operators in establishments(5). The Decision provides, among other things, that before 8 June 2002 all operators must conduct frequent and regular checks on samples from those carcass sites where risk of microbiological contamination is most likely to occur.

The opinion of the SCVMPH of 23 September 1999 concerned the evaluation of microbiological criteria for food products of animal origin for human consumption and that of 24 February 2000 concerned the revision of meat inspection procedures. A further opinion, adopted on 20-21 June 2001, on identification of species/categories of meat-producing animals in integrated production systems where meat inspection may be revised, refers to the opinion of 2000. It noted the recommendation for the introduction of an alternative meat inspection system in fattening pigs, minimising cross-contamination by avoiding incision and palpation on the slaughter-line. It also quoted the following. The reduction of post mortem handling, however, requires the application of a vertically integrated plant-driven quality assurance system. Microbiological testing of carcasses for food pathogens should be compared against microbiological standards established and monitored by the competent authority. The series of scientific opinions has enabled the Commission to commence work on two particular projects with experts from the Member States. The first concerns a proposal for updating and establishing microbiological criteria covering the whole food chain, based on the latest developments in food science and intended to improve the safety of consumers' food. The second concerns modernising ante- and post mortem inspections while taking into consideration intensive breeding and new associated patholologies.

(1) OJ B 121, 29.7.1964.

(2) OJ L 340, 11.12.1991.

(3) OJ L 340, 31.12.1993.

(4) http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scv/outcome_en.html

opinions.

(5) OJ L 165, 21.6.2001.