The Food Standards Agency in Britain announced yesterday it is to carry out a "risk assessment" of Irish beef being imported into the UK.
The agency said it had commissioned the assessment study of Irish beef following the rise in the incidence of BSE to 126 cases this year. "This compares to 1,190 in the UK and 126 in France on the latest figures available."
The announcement came as the agency recommended that the UK retain its current rules which make it illegal to sell beef from cattle older than 30 months for human consumption. This is the second time in a month that the British authorities have targeted Irish beef. A fortnight ago, local authorities and health officials were told to ensure that beef imports from the Republic met the 30-month requirement.
A Food Safety Authority of Ireland spokesman said the risk assessment would yield zero results on Irish cattle, which are not fed on meat-and-bone meal.
Last year, the British market took nearly 100,000 tonnes of Irish beef, making it Ireland's largest customer in the EU. France, importing 50,000 tonnes, was the second largest market before the BSE crisis.
Talks continued yesterday between the Department of Agriculture and beef industry representatives on the implementation of new schemes to cope with the crisis. Meat factory sources said the concentration would be on the slaughter for destruction scheme.
Department officials admitted the test or destruct scheme could only proceed at the rate at which the industry coped with the number to be destroyed.
It also emerged that the farm organisations are favourably disposed to a selective cull of older cows, which would reduce BSE and eventually eliminate it.
It was confirmed yesterday that the Department is to use a Limerick city plant for culling cattle under the destruction scheme.
Mr Des O'Malley TD said the plant should not be used for processing beef for the food chain when it is not being used to kill animals from BSE-infected or suspect herds.