Volume 3: The Early Years, 1986-88
6. Notification of the ruminant feed ban to other countries
The Southwood Working Party discuss exports of MBM

6.33 The fourth and final meeting of the Southwood Working Party was held on 3 February 1989. ¹ Dr Hilary Pickles of DH prepared the agenda for, ² and an informal note of, ³ the meeting. The informal note of the meeting includes the following:

3. There had been very little importation of meat and bone meal from overseas, although some had come through brokers so the country of origin was uncertain. There appeared to be none from the USA (where scrapie has increased recently). There was no restriction on exportation of meat and bone meal, and this took place, mostly in Europe, and might be expected to increase following the ruminant ban in the UK. Some importing countries required 'health certificates', which gave a minimal statement about the treatment given in processing (admittedly the example tabled showed apparently a very good time/temperature profile). The general feeling was that no comment should be made in the report on exports. No attempt was being made to conceal the risks and it was for each country to set its own standards. ⁴

6.34 Also on 3 February 1989, Mr Meldrum wrote to Dr R Berger, the Director of Veterinary Services in Finland. ⁵ Mr Meldrum was responding to information received from a Finnish importer who had informed MAFF that Finland was refusing to issue import permits for cattle from Great Britain. Mr Meldrum referred Dr Berger to the recent article by Mr Wilesmith and others published in the Veterinary Record in December 1988. He also enclosed the question-and-answer brief referred to above (paragraph 6.28).

6.35 The publication of the Southwood Report led to a number of related articles appearing in the Veterinary Record. On 4 March 1989 an article entitled 'Dealing with BSE' praised the Southwood Report and included the comment:

The use of animal waste in cattle feed is firmly blamed for the spread of BSE. It will be noted that, unlike salmonella, the BSE agent is unlikely to be destroyed by even the most rigorous application of the sterilising procedures available to renderers. Hence, the report concludes that the risk from animal waste is such that it should not be used in the manufacture of concentrates. ⁶

6.36 A further article, entitled 'Southwood calls for monitoring of BSE risk in veterinarians', provided a more detailed summary of the Southwood Report, including discussion of the role of animal protein in feed in the transmission of the disease. In the summary section it stated: 'To prevent further infection in cattle the use of ruminant-based protein in ruminant rations has been banned. It was recommended [in the Southwood Report] that this ban be continued indefinitely.' ⁷