1982 MSSR |
Meat (Sterilisation and Staining) Regulations 1982 |
ADAS |
Agricultural Development and Advisory Service; formerly an executive arm of MAFF; privatised 1997 |
AFRC |
Agriculture and Food Research Council, replaced in 1994 by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council |
AH(Z)D |
Animal Health (Zoonoses) Division, MAFF |
AH(Z)D |
Animal Health (Zoonoses) Division |
AHC (Animal Health Circular) |
Instructions issued by MAFF animal health policy divisions to staff of the VFS concerning animal health matters |
AHD |
Animal Health Division |
AHG |
Animal Health Group, replaced in August 1990 by the Animal Health and Veterinary Group |
AHO (Animal Health Officer) |
MAFF official employed within the VFS but not possessing veterinary qualifications |
AHVG |
Animal Health Veterinary Group, MAFF, formed by merger of AHG and SVS August 1990 |
AI |
Artificial insemination |
AMI |
Authorised Meat Inspector |
ATPB (Animal Tracking Project Board) |
A group within MAFF set up to evaluate the feasibility of implementing an animal tracking system as recommended by the House of Commons Agriculture Select Committee in its July 1990 report |
BABs |
Cattle verified as having been Born After the ruminant feed Ban (18 July 1988) and confirmed to be BSE positive. |
Black PN |
The dye with which slaughterhouse waste, including SBO, was required to be stained under the 1982 MSSR and the 1989 SBO Regulations |
BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) |
A slowly progressive and ultimately fatal neurological disorder of adult cattle |
BVA |
British Veterinary Association |
CEHO |
Chief Environmental Health Officer |
CIEH |
Chartered Institute of Environmental Health |
CMO (Chief Medical Officer) |
The UK Government's chief adviser on human health matters, although Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all have their own CMOs |
CTS |
Cattle Traceability System/Cattle Tracing System |
CVL |
Central Veterinary Laboratory |
CVO (Chief Veterinary Officer) |
The chief adviser on veterinary matters to Ministers in England, Wales and Scotland. Northern Ireland has its own CVO |
DANI |
Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland |
DH |
Department of Health (since 1988) |
Distal ileum |
A part of the small intestine |
DRVO |
Deputy Regional Veterinary Officer |
DVO |
Divisional Veterinary Officer |
EHO |
Environmental Health Officer |
ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay) |
Refers here to a test to measure small amounts of a particular protein in solution using specific antibodies to identify the species origin of protein in animal feed |
Encephalopathy |
A degenerative disorder of the brain |
Fallen stock or fallen animals |
Animals which have died (whether through disease or any other cause) or have been killed on the farm |
FSH (Food Safety and Hygiene) Circular |
Circular produced by MAFF to guide the CEHOs of local authorities on the implementation of slaughterhouse regulations |
FUW |
Farmers' Union of Wales |
GAFTA (Grain and Feed Trading Association) |
A trade association representing traders of many agricultural commodities, including raw materials used in animal feedstuffs |
HAT |
Hygiene Advice Team of the Meat Hygiene Service |
Head-boning |
Removal of the edible meat from the head of a cow, eg, cheek meat |
Homogenate |
A substance which has been blended to make smooth, with an even distribution of particles |
Hyperbaric |
Of, relating to, or utilising greater than atmospheric pressure |
IEHO |
Institution of Environmental Health Officers (subsequently the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health) |
Intraperitonal injection |
Injection into the abdominal cavity |
ITD |
Information Technology Directorate, MAFF |
Knacker |
A person who collects dead and diseased animals from farms in order to salvage any products of value (eg, hides and skins, meat for pet food) and dispose of the remains, usually to a renderer |
LA |
Local authority |
LACOTS |
Local Authorities Co-Ordinating Body on Food and Trading Standards |
LASSA |
Licensed Animal Slaughterers and Salvage Association; represents fallen stock collectors and knackers in Great Britain |
Macerate |
To soften or separate as a result of soaking |
MAFF |
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food |
MBM |
Meat and Bone Meal. Animal-derived protein produced by rendering. Used as a protein source in animal feed |
MHI |
Meat Hygiene Inspector |
MHS |
Meat Hygiene Service |
MHVS |
Meat Hygiene Veterinary Service |
MILG |
Meat Industry Liaison Group |
MLC |
Meat and Livestock Commission |
MMB |
Milk Marketing Board |
MSSR |
Meat (Sterilisation and Staining) Regulations 1982 |
NCBA |
National Cattle Breeders Association |
NCC |
National Consumer Council |
NFU |
National Farmers' Union |
NPU |
Neuropathogenesis Unit |
OVS |
Official Veterinary Surgeon (working for local authorities to April 1995, then for MHS) |
Patent Blue V |
Dye prescribed for dyeing SBO from 1 April 1995 |
Pathogen |
A bacterium, virus or other micro-organism that can cause disease |
PFMA |
Pet Food Manufacturers' Association |
Pithing rod |
A rod inserted through the stun hole in the head of cattle to prevent the animal kicking (a reflex action which sometimes occurs after stunning) as it is slaughtered |
PPS |
Parliamentary Private Secretary (also, Principal Private Secretary to a Minister) |
PQ |
Parliamentary Question |
Q&A brief |
Question and answer brief |
Render |
Process offal and other parts of discarded animal carcasses to make meat and bone meal and tallow. This is achieved by drying/cooking and separating the solid fraction (protein meals) from the melted liquid fraction (tallow and animal fat) |
RFB |
Ruminant feed ban |
RMHA |
Regional Meat Hygiene Adviser |
RVO |
Regional Veterinary Officer |
SBO (Specified Bovine Offal) |
Specified cattle tissues banned from initially human and later animal consumption, including brain, spinal cord, spleen, thymus, tonsils and intestines |
Scrapie |
A spongiform encephalopathy (SE) endemic in British sheep. Also found in goats. Can be transmitted experimentally to other animals such as mice. The experimental model for work on SEs |
SE (Spongiform Encephalopathy) |
Disease of the neurological system characterised by spongy degeneration of the brain with progressive dementia |
SEAC (Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee) |
Set up in April 1990 in response to the Tyrrell Committee's recommendations to advise on matters related to SEs |
SEHO |
Senior Environmental Health Officer |
SMHA |
Superintendent Meat Hygiene Adviser |
SMHI |
Senior Meat Hygiene Inspector |
SOAEFD |
Scottish Office Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries Department (formerly DAFS: Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland) |
Southwood Working Party |
Established May 1988 to examine the implications of BSE in relation to both animal health and any possible human health hazards, and to advise the Government on any necessary measures |
SSO |
Senior Scientific Officer |
Subclinical (state) |
When a disease has not progressed far enough to show clear signs and symptoms |
Tallow |
The fat produced by the rendering process. It covers a range of different products from human food to animal feed and technical greases |
TSE (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy) |
A spongiform encephalopathy which can be transmitted within or between species either naturally or by experimental means |
Tyrrell Committee (Consultative Committee on Research) |
Committee chaired by Dr Tyrrell and established February 1989 on the recommendation of the Southwood Report to advise MAFF and DH on research into SEs. Re-established as SEAC in April 1990 |
UKASTA (UK Agricultural Supply Trade Association) |
Trade association representing members of, among others, the animal feedstuffs industry |
UKRA |
UK Renderers' Association |
VetNet |
Database comprising veterinary data following tubercular and brucellosis testing and other disease control activities |
VFS |
Veterinary Field Service, MAFF |
VIC |
Veterinary Investigation Centre |
VIO |
Veterinary Investigation Officer |
VIS |
Veterinary Investigation Service, MAFF |
VO |
Veterinary Officer |
VO(MH) |
Veterinary Officer with special training in meat hygiene, MAFF |
VPHA |
Veterinary Public Health Association. |
WFU |
Women's Farming Union |
Wilson Committee |
Committee established in 1990 by industry groups to review and recommend changes to cattle identification systems. |
WOAD |
Welsh Office Agriculture Department |
Zoonosis |
Animal disease which can be transmitted to humans |
