Very few live cattle have been imported in the last seven years and only from EU countries, all of which have negligible or controlled BSE risk status. Discussions with competent authority officers at the in-country inspection confirmed that most cattle are less than 30 months of age and are imported for immediate slaughter which represents a minimal BSE risk. Underpinning controls on imports is the European TRACES system which is the electronic system that enables government authorities and businesses to track and trace live animals and products of animal origin (food and feed ingredients sourced from animals) that are traded on the EU market (see Section 10). Exposure control Exposure of cattle to BSE contaminated material and amplification of the BSE agent within the feed system is controlled by preventing the feeding of ruminant-derived protein to ruminants. Depending on the BSE status of a country (such as whether a case of BSE has occurred and/or risk factors for BSE exist), prevention is achieved through regulations in three key areas across the beef production system: Pre-slaughter controls which prevent the feeding of ruminant protein to ruminants At slaughter controls which cover animal inspection procedures to ensure potentially affected animals are removed from the animal feed and food production systems Post-slaughter controls which ensure that potentially infected tissues are removed and do not enter the animal feed and food production systems. Reviews on the effect of BSE control measures on the epidemiology of the disease emphasize that feed ban regulations and procedures to prevent cross-contamination of ingredients used for cattle feed are critical control measures for preventing the recycling and amplification of BSE 8-11. Measures to prevent non-ambulatory (downer) cattle from entering the animal feed and human food chain should also be adopted. For countries where BSE has occurred or risk factors exist, controls should also extend to exclusion of potentially infectious tissue (SRM) from animal feed and food (including pet food and human food products). BSE control measures applied across the Latvian beef production chain to prevent exposure to BSE are summarised in Figure 1. This chapter describes the control measures that prevent the contamination and recycling of the BSE agent in cattle feed and contamination of food for human consumption.
Very few live cattle have been imported in the last seven years and only from EU countries, all of which have negligible or controlled BSE risk status. Discussions with competent authority officers at the in-country inspection confirmed that most cattle are less than 30 months of age and are imported for immediate slaughter which represents a minimal BSE risk. Underpinning controls on imports is the European TRACES system which is the electronic system that enables government authorities and businesses to track and trace live animals and products of animal origin (food and feed ingredients sourced from animals) that are traded on the EU market (see Section 10). Exposure control Exposure of cattle to BSE contaminated material and amplification of the BSE agent within the feed system is controlled by preventing the feeding of ruminant-derived protein to ruminants. Depending on the BSE status of a country (such as whether a case of BSE has occurred and/or risk factors for BSE exist), prevention is achieved through regulations in three key areas across the beef production system: Pre-slaughter controls which prevent the feeding of ruminant protein to ruminants At slaughter controls which cover animal inspection procedures to ensure potentially affected animals are removed from the animal feed and food production systems Post-slaughter controls which ensure that potentially infected tissues are removed and do not enter the animal feed and food production systems. Reviews on the effect of BSE control measures on the epidemiology of the disease emphasize that feed ban regulations and procedures to prevent cross-contamination of ingredients used for cattle feed are critical control measures for preventing the recycling and amplification of BSE 8-11. Measures to prevent non-ambulatory (downer) cattle from entering the animal feed and human food chain should also be adopted. For countries where BSE has occurred or risk factors exist, controls should also extend to exclusion of potentially infectious tissue (SRM) from animal feed and food (including pet food and human food products). BSE control measures applied across the Latvian beef production chain to prevent exposure to BSE are summarised in Figure 1. This chapter describes the control measures that prevent the contamination and recycling of the BSE agent in cattle feed and contamination of food for human consumption.