Poland in no danger of BSE epidemic
There is no threat of widespread BSE contamination in Poland, chief veterinarian Piotr Kolodzie has attested on behalf of Poland’s State Veterinarian Institute.
Speaking at a conference held in Pulawy (south-eastern Poland), accompanied by experts from Great Britain, Switzerland, Germany, Holland and Belarus, Kolodzie admitted that isolated cases- such as that detected in a Polish abattoir two months ago - could still occur. However, he said the chances of this happening were extremely limited and that in any case, the meat would simply not be allowed to enter the market.
He stressed also the similarity of Polish testing procedures to those of the EU, and the fact that animals and fodder are exhaustively tested, using genetic techniques where appropriate. Director of the institute, Tadeusz Wilaszka, asserted that the BSE problem should be solved in Europe by 2005. He said, however, that the disease would never be completely eradicated because funds for testing are lacking in some poorer countries, and certain unhygienic practices remain in operation- although not in beef-producing countries, he emphasised.
