Methods of Control and Prevention

The control of BSE in the UK is based on statutory control measures that are mainly aimed at preventing further spread of infectious materials in the feed chain.

The following measures are implemented at the moment:

• Ban on the inclusion of ruminant protein in bovine diets: beef and sheep carcases are not used for meat and bone meal production.
• Ban on the use of mammalian meat and bone meal in the feed of any food animal species.
• Rendering processes recognised as ineffective in inactivating BSE agent are banned.
• Ban on the use of certain specific bovine offals and certain specific risk materials from sheep, goat and cattle in feed for any species.

To prevent the potential effect of maternal transmission in the UK cattle herd, a culling programme of age cohorts of confirmed cases from a certain period was carried out in 1997-1998.

In addition, to minimise the potential risk to human health, all cattle over 30 months of age are slaughtered under a special compensation scheme and the carcasses are entirely destroyed. Currently, cattle between 30 and 40 months of age from the UK beef cattle assurance scheme herds are allowed to enter the human food chain.