Scientific Report of the European Food Safety Authority on the Assessment of the Geographical BSE Risk (GBR) of New Zealand
Question nº: EFSA-Q-2003-083
Summary
The European Food Safety Authority and its Scientific Expert Working Group on the Assessment of the Geographical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Risk (GBR) were asked by the European Commission (EC) to provide an up-to-date scientific report on the GBR in New Zealand, i.e. the likelihood of the presence of one or more cattle being infected with BSE, pre-clinically as well as clinically, in New Zealand. This scientific report addresses the GBR of New Zealand as assessed in 2005 based on data covering the period 1980-2003.
Although the system was extremely unstable in New Zealand from the early 1980s until 2003, the occurrence of an internal challenge is considered highly unlikely due to the negligible external challenge over the entire period.
The risk that BSE-infected cattle entered processing in New Zealand, and were at least partly rendered for feed, due to imported cattle from BSE-risk countries has been negligible throughout the considered period. Also, the probability that BSE contaminated material entered the cattle system is seen as being negligible.
EFSA concludes that the current GBR level of NEW ZEALAND is I, i.e., it is highly unlikely that domestic cattle are (clinically or pre-clinically) infected with the BSE-agent. As long as the possibility of cross-contamination exists and there are no serious changes in rendering, the system will continue to be very unstable. Thus, the possibility of cattle being (pre-clinically or clinically) infected with the BSE-agent will remain at a low level.
Dernière mise à jour: 12/07/2006
