Increasing confidence in UK beef
A team from Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) have visited the UK in order to gain understanding of our bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance and control methods.
The aim of the visit was to consider the possibility of opening trade links with each other, to supply "prime" UK beef to Singaporean hotels and restaurants.
Dr Chew Siang Thai, director general of AVA, sent his team to the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) in Weybridge, Surrey, to find out more.
The visit involved discussing BSE with AHVLA scientists, looking at controls and testing regimes, as well as a tour of the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) laboratories.
Dr Jim Hope, lead scientist for TSE at the AHVLA, said: "The visit showed the effectiveness of our TSE controls and aimed to increase confidence in UK beef.
"We explained how AHVLA delivers statutory surveillance for BSE, and highlighted our role as an international and EU reference laboratory for TSEs and the role of our experts as European Food Safety Authority consultants."
Dr Hope added that he is "optimistic" the visit will lead to a positive assessment of the UK's BSE controls by the Singapore BSE Technical committee and the AVA Ministry.
"[This will] potentially enable the export of prime UK beef from cattle under 30 months of age by the autumn of this year," he concluded.
Defra has published guidance for the vet sector ahead of a proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement.
