February 16, 2013

leading vet comments on aspects of horsemeat story

More reaction to the horsemeat scandal, on topics concerning veterinary science.

Prof Mark Bowen, University of Nottingham and British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), said:

On Streptococcus equinus:

“Streptococcus equinus is a bacteria that is present in the intestines of normal animals including, but not exclusively, horses. It’s occurrence therefore is, not specifically linked to contact with horses.  Streptococcus equinus has occasionally be associated with disease in people, as has the closely related bacteria Streptococcus bovis. However these conditions are very uncommon.

“Since the bacteria are present in the animals intestines, contamination of meat is highly unlikely.  It does not cause clinical disease in animals and would not normally be present in meat of horses or cattle. Infection would most likely occur from direct contact and not from food.

“The risk of food borne infection from this bacteria is incredibly unlikely.  The public should, of course, cook processed food as per the manufacturers instructions, not because of the risks of Streptococcus equinus but due to the potential, albeit small, risk from normal food borne pathogens.”

On bute: 

“Phenylbutazone (bute) is a safe and effective painkiller used extensively in horses throughout the world. It is the only medicine of its type that can be used for long term management of pain and is therefore essential in order to protect the welfare of animals with pain caused by arthritis. While other painkillers are available that can be used safely in food producing animals, including horses, the long term management safety of these have not been shown, and are therefore not direct replacements. 

“Phenylbutazone cannot be used in any food producing animal. In order to preserve the availability of this drug, and therefore to maintain welfare standards in horses, the Horse Passport Act (2004) was devised to create a mechanism that enabled horses to be permanently excluded from the human food chain. This legislation was subsequently improved in 2009, by the requirement for horses to be permanently identified by a microchip inserted into the neck.

“A number of scenarios could explain how bute has been found in horses that have been slaughtered for human consumption. These may include deliberate fraud, lack of compliance with the regulations by owners or vets or by contamination of feeds or buckets resulting in accidental intake of the drug by horses that were not the intended recipients. 

“Although the horse passport system has improved considerably since 2004, some opportunities to defraud the system remain; BEVA are keen to work with DEFRA to remove such loopholes. We have been working with the Veterinary Medicines Directorate over several years, to help develop guidelines and advice to vets to ensure compliance. The importance of compliance by owners, and risks of accidental administration needs to be highlighted to members of the public. 

“For those who choose to eat pure horse meat, the minuscule amounts of this medicine within these cuts of meat does not represent a genuine risk to human health. Members of the UK public who are  concerned about contamination of processed foods by horse meat should at least be reassured that the major source of this meat appears to be from Romania, and there is no suggestion of any medicine residues in these products.”