WRITTEN QUESTION P-3535/02 by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Disposal of BSE-infected carcasses.
Date: 2002-12-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: animal disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, carcase, health risk, public health, toxic substance, waste disposal, waste incineration, waste management

8.5.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 110 E/219

Following the results of an audit mission of Eurostat in Greece which took place in 16 and 17 October
2002, and a new notification submitted by the Greek authorities, the Commission has published revised
figures for the deficit and debt in Greece in 2000 and 2001 in a press release issued on 13 November
2002. According to this, Greek government deficit stood at 1,2 % of gross domestic product (GDP) in
2001, while debt reached in 2001 107,0 % of GDP.

(2003/C 110 E/244)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3535/02

by Patricia McKenna (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(4 December 2002)

Subject: Disposal of BSE-infected carcasses

Can the Commission provide an answer as to whether waste reduction of animal tissue and safe treatment
of special risk material using the combined technology of alkaline hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion is
endorsed as a proven technology, as is the case in the United States of America and elsewhere, given that
the destruction of the BSE prion cannot be guaranteed by incineration but is possible to guarantee by
alkaline hydrolysis?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(9 January 2003)

Specified risk material must be disposed of in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002 of the
Parliament and of the Council of 3 October 2002 on health rules concerning animal by-products not
intended for human consumption (1). The approved disposal methods include direct incineration as well as
incineration or co-incineration following one of the processing methods described in Annex V of that
Regulation. The combined technology of alkaline hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion is not included in this
list of approved processing methods.

The current approved methods of safe disposal of specified risk material are in line with the current
Community’s Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) recommendations. According to these recommendations,
incineration is ranked high among the safe ways of destroying the bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) agent.

Regulation 1774/2002 allows for approving of alternative disposal methods after consultation of the
appropriate scientific committee and under a legislative procedure involving the Standing Committee on
the Food Chain and Animal Health.

With regard to the treatment of animal waste by alkaline hydrolysis as a safe step in the disposal of
materials carrying a TSE risk, the SSC adopted an opinion at its meeting in May 2002, which was revised
at its meeting of 7 and 8 November 2002, taking into account other data submitted by the industry.

In this opinion the SSC in particular states that:

(cid:1) further studies are needed before any final assurance could be given regarding the safety of the process

with respect to the TSE risks;

(cid:1) by-products of the process could carry a risk of BSE/TSE infectivity and this risk may decrease with
the duration of the processing; further data would be needed in order to make a definitive statement.

The SSC considers that for the time being the direct discharge of the liquid residues of the alkaline
hydrolysis process to the sewer without further treatment is not appropriate. The combination with
anaerobic digestion is not considered as safe if the presence of residual TSE infectivity cannot be excluded,
because the TSE clearance level by anaerobic digestion process is unknown (opinion of the SSC of
24-25 June 1999).

C 110 E/220

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

8.5.2003

The SSC furthermore raises the issue of the possible presence of dioxins in the effluent of the alkaline
hydrolysis process and states that additional data / analyses were needed to verify whether during this
process dioxins are formed in addition to background levels that may already have been present.

The SSC’s opinions are available on the website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/ssc/index_en.html

As a consequence of the statements of the SSC the combined technology of alkaline hydrolysis and
anaerobic digestion is not approved as a safe processing method for disposal of animal by-products.
However, the Commission is analysing the revised opinion of the SSC, with the view to a possible need for
further data and with the view to laying down strict conditions for possible approval of the process to
ensure protection of human health, animal health and the environment, bearing in mind the shortcomings
highlighted in the opinion.

(1) OJ L 273, 10.10.2002.

(2003/C 110 E/245)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3550/02

by John Cushnahan (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 December 2002)

Subject: Monosodium glutamate E621

Could the Commission confirm that
the flavouring monosodium glutamate E621 is not a ‘natural’
flavouring under the classification system established for flavourings under EU law? In that case, is it not
misleading for consumers and contrary to Article 2(i) of European Parliament and Council Directive 2000/
13/EC (1) for products containing E621 to be labelled as containing ‘no artificial flavourings’?

(1) OJ L 109, 6.5.2000, p. 29.

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(9 January 2003)

E 621 Monosodium glutamate is authorised for use in certain foodstuffs as a food additive by Directive 95/
2/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 20 February 1995 on food additives other than colours and
sweeteners (1). Monosodium glutamate is a flavour enhancer. Flavour enhancers are defined as follows in
Directive 95/2/EC, Article 1(l): ‘Flavour enhancers are substances which enhance the existing taste and/or
odour of a foodstuff.’ Flavour enhancers must be labelled on the foodstuffs by their category and specific
name or E-number.

Monosodium glutamate is not listed in the register of chemically defined flavouring substances laid down
by Commission Decision 1999/217/EC of 23 February 1999 adopting a register of flavouring substances
used in or on foodstuffs drawn up in application of Regulation (EC) No 2232/96 of the Parliament and of
the Council of 28 October 1996 (2), as last amended by Commission Decision 2002/113/EC of 23 January
2002 (3), and is therefore not a flavouring substance.

The presence of monosodium glutamate does therefore not preclude the label to indicate the absence of
artificial flavourings.

All the cited legislation is available from the web site of Directorate General Health and Consumer
Protection on additives and flavourings: http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sfp/addit_flavor/index_en.html.

(1) OJ L 61, 18.3.1995.
(2) OJ L 84, 27.3.1999.
(3) OJ L 49, 20.2.2002.