The Federal Research Center for Viral Diseases in Animals in Riems has confirmed two more cases of BSE in Bavaria.

It is a female Fleckvieh cattle from Lower Bavaria, born on March 08.03.2000th, 04.10.1999. The animal was examined as part of BSE monitoring. The second animal is a female Fleckvieh cattle from Lower Bavaria, born on October XNUMXth, XNUMX. It was examined during slaughter. In the final clarification by the Federal Research Center for Viral Diseases in Animals, TSE-typical prion proteins were clearly detected.

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A new ordinance issued by Federal Minister for Consumer Protection Renate Künast promises more consumer protection for food supplements. It regulates the composition and presentation of food supplements. "The regulation creates clarity and truth in the booming market for vitamin and mineral supplements. Everyone should be aware, however, that these supplements are not a substitute for a balanced diet," says Künast.

The regulation specifies which vitamins and minerals may be used in food supplements.

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dr Marcus Clauss presented the final report of the risk analysis at the "Erlangen Round".

The "final report of the BSE risk analysis" was presented by Dr. Marcus Clauss from the Chair of Animal Nutrition and Dietetics at LMU Munich this Tuesday as part of the "Erlangen Round" at the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL).

The study was commissioned by the Bavarian State Ministry for the Environment, Health and Consumer Protection and, as part of a risk analysis, carried out epidemiological studies on the occurrence of BSE in Bavaria and on potential risk factors in dairy cow farming. The focus was on the following questions: Can patterns be identified in the regional occurrence of BSE? How is the transmission carried out? What forecasts can be made for future developments? How high is the further risk potential from BSE?

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Unusually high levels of linoleic acid detected

Kangaroo meat contains unusually high levels of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), discovered a PhD student at the University of Western Australia. The muscle fat of bush kangaroos contains up to five times more of these polyunsaturated fatty acids than the fat of western Australian sheep.

Health-promoting effects are attributed to conjugated linoleic acids. However, because kangaroo meat contains only 2 percent fat, the amount of CLA in a kangaroo steak is lower than in a portion of lamb of the same weight (which averages 16 percent fat). Humans cannot form these fatty acids themselves and are dependent on their occurrence in food. So far, dairy products, lamb and beef have been considered the richest natural sources of conjugated linoleic acids. In ruminants, special rumen bacteria ensure CLA synthesis.

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antibiotic resistance

40 percent of the bacteria found in chickens are now insensitive to at least one antibiotic. This was found by Swiss researchers who examined 415 chicken meat samples from more than 120 different grocers throughout Switzerland and Liechtenstein for antibiotic resistance.

91 different Campylobacter strains were identified, of which 59 percent were resistant to all antibiotics tested, 19 strains to one antibiotic, nine strains to two and eight strains to three antibiotics. Campylobacter causes between 5 and 14 percent of all diarrheal diseases worldwide. Causes are mostly unclean drinking water, undercooked poultry meat and unpasteurized dairy products. The disease usually subsides within a week, but campylobacter infections can be life-threatening for young children and people with a weakened immune system. Then antibiotics are given.

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foodwatch on the new food and feed law

foodwatch takes a critical view of the reorganization of food and feed law (LFBG) decided by the federal cabinet. The draft law takes into account various European requirements that arose in the wake of the BSE crisis:

A uniform food and feed code is planned for Germany for the first time. foodwatch considers the principles of the draft law to be sensible. But the organization sees considerable dangers for consumer protection in the construction of the law: "Almost all important content-related decisions about the quality of our food are shifted to ministerial administrative acts. In addition, there is no modern monitoring concept," criticizes Matthias Wolfschmidt from foodwatch.

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Byrne welcomes WHO and FAO global strategy

In Geneva, ministers from all over the world are discussing a global strategy of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN for better nutrition, exercise and health. The European Commission, meanwhile, has called on Europe to do something about the problem of obesity. The WHO-FAO strategy gives new impetus to the fight against pounds, said Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Byrne, warning that obesity could become for the 21st century what smoking was for the 20th.

A Europe-wide network of nutrition and physical activity experts has been set up under the EU Public Health Program to identify, among other things, best practice in preventing obesity. The European Commission has also proposed new legislation on health and nutrition claims on food (see IP/03/1022) to improve consumer information. Consumers can only choose healthy food if the information is clear and precise.

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New BSE risk assessment in the UK

According to a recently published report by the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards (BIOHAZ), the risk of BSE in the United Kingdom is now similar to that in the other EU countries. According to this, by the end of 2004 at the latest, the United Kingdom would have reached a situation which entitles it to be classified in the “moderate BSE risk” category. This does not apply to animals born before August 1, 1996. These should still not get into the food chain.

The European Commission asked the European Food Safety Authority and its scientific body BIOHAZ to prepare an opinion on the risk of BSE in the UK. Earlier, the UK had applied to be classified as a "moderate BSE risk" country under the International Organization for Epizootics guidelines. In another study, the panel recommends abolishing the OTMS (Over Thirty Months) rule and replacing it with the same protective measures as in other EU countries. Above all, thorough test programs, but also the removal of specific risk material and age-independent feeding bans are intended to reduce the risk of contaminated material entering the food chain.

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Market researchers expect high growth rates in the EU

The British market research company Mintel has analyzed the development of the organic market in five European countries since 1998 and predicts that the organic market in Germany will more than double from the current 3,2 billion euros to 2007 billion euros by 6,7. According to the ZMP, this growth is likely to be significantly overestimated. According to calculations by Prof. Hamm, sales of organic products reached almost three billion euros in 2002 and, according to ZMP estimates, should have remained stable at this level in 2003 or at best experienced slight increases. For 2004, the signals are currently pointing to growth, including the assessment of the ZMP.

According to Mintel, the strong growth in sales over the next few years will be the result of the expanding network of the new generation of organic specialist shops, i.e. organic supermarkets, but the growing state support for the organic sector should also encourage consumption among the population and at the same time support processors in their marketing activities for organic food.

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The term "fresh poultry meat" urgently needs to be defined more strictly in order to differentiate EU goods from competing Brazilian and Thai products. This is required by the Dutch Association of Poultry Farmers and the Dutch Association of the Poultry Meat Processing Industry. It is unfortunate that Brazilian and Thai poultry meat that has been frozen and then thawed is also sold as 'fresh' in the Netherlands. Consumers should be able to rely on poultry meat advertised as 'fresh' actually being fresh.

In order to ensure this, in the opinion of the two associations, only meat from Europe should be labeled as "fresh" in the future. Alternatively, an EU label is conceivable. According to the industry association, Dutch and German quality restaurants only want to buy really fresh poultry meat.

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DBV does not see any progress for practical application in reorganization

With the aim of achieving greater consumer safety, previously independent laws from the areas of food hygiene, animal feed, consumer goods and cosmetics are to be combined in one set of rules. This was announced by Federal Consumer Protection Minister Renate Künast on May 19, 2004 at a press conference in Berlin about the planned law for the reorganization of food and feed law. In the opinion of the German Farmers' Association (DBV), however, the future law will be unnecessarily bloated by including the large number of products at the expense of clarity and user-friendliness. At the same time, in the opinion of the DBV, there can be no talk of a desired simplification of the application of the law.

Federal Minister Künast has thus clearly exceeded the goal set by the EU basic regulation on food law, namely the uniform consideration of food and feed. The DBV supports the principle that animal feed and its treatment and processing are an important part of the food production chain. The feed manufacturer and feed user have a great deal of responsibility for the quality and safety of the food. However, a future separate consideration of food and feed law in no way contradicts this principle, but rather maintains clarity for the application of the law.

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