The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has revealed meat from a cow aged over 72 months, that had not been tested for BSE, has entered the food chain. image expired

An FSA spokesperson said, “It is very unlikely that the cow was infected with BSE and as specified risk material (SRM) was removed, any risk to human health is extremely low. SRM is the parts of cattle most likely to carry BSE infectivity.”

The cow, aged 74 months and 11 days, was slaughtered at Anglo Dutch Meat’s abattoir in Kent (UK), on 11th August. However, the error was not discovered until 6th October, when a routine cross-​check of slaughter and BSE test data revealed the cow had not been tested.

According to BSE regulations, the untested cow, plus the cow slaughtered before and the two killed after, should not have entered the food supply at all. However, by the time the failure was discovered, the meat had been shipped. The FSA said its investigation into the error showed the meat from the four animals has probably been eaten.