Cyprus meat safe from BSE

CYPRUS does not import beef or beef extracts from the United States, the Health Ministry said yesterday.

The Ministry’s medical and public health services released a statement assuring the public following fears that burgers from popular fast-food chains could be infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) after the first apparent US case of mad cow disease was discovered last week.

According to the Health Ministry, which conducted an investigation into the matter in collaboration with the veterinary services, Cyprus’ fast-food chains imported their beef products from Italy and they come with certificates from the country’s health authorities which certify the meat had undergone tests for BSE, more commonly known as mad cow disease, as required under European Union regulations.

In fact all local beef imports come from European countries that adhere to EU beef safety regulations checks, the statement said.

Further checks are then carried out in Cyprus which follow strict EU guidelines, said the medical services.

According to Agriculture Minister Timis Efthymiou, Cyprus carried out two control tests to ensure local beef was safe for consumption. The first test included the ‘rabbit test’.
This involved screening and testing slaughtered cattle which were over 30 months old for BSE. Only once the meat was given the all clear was it put on the market, he said.

The second control carried out by local authorities to ensure Cypriot beef was kept free from the deadly disease was a ban on feeding cattle with animal feed, Efthymiou said.