ZAGREB, Jan 31 (Hina) - The quick-testing of cows for 'mad cow' disease in Croatia will start in mid-February and between 7,000 and 10,000 cows older than 30 months, which are to be slaughtered in a regular procedure, will be tested
this year alone, the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry said on Wednesday. The so-called quick tests were obtained from a Swiss company and we hope the testing will begin by mid-February, which depends on the delivery of test kits since demand in Europe is great, Assistant Agriculture Minister Matko Brstilo said. Several Croatian experts will leave for Switzerland in two days for additional training on the testing. The quick-testing of cows (the so-called prionix method), which has been validated and approved as compulsory in EU countries, was announced by the Croatian ministry at a recent news conference. It was then estimated that Croatia would n
ZAGREB, Jan 31 (Hina) - The quick-testing of cows for 'mad cow'
disease in Croatia will start in mid-February and between 7,000 and
10,000 cows older than 30 months, which are to be slaughtered in a
regular procedure, will be tested this year alone, the Agriculture
and Forestry Ministry said on Wednesday.
The so-called quick tests were obtained from a Swiss company and we
hope the testing will begin by mid-February, which depends on the
delivery of test kits since demand in Europe is great, Assistant
Agriculture Minister Matko Brstilo said.
Several Croatian experts will leave for Switzerland in two days for
additional training on the testing.
The quick-testing of cows (the so-called prionix method), which has
been validated and approved as compulsory in EU countries, was
announced by the Croatian ministry at a recent news conference. It
was then estimated that Croatia would need some 3.5 million kuna for
the purchase of 200 test kits.
The tests will be applied to all cows (domestic and imported) older
than 30 months, which are to be sent into regular slaughtering. This
means that there will be no massive killing of animals. Between
7,000 and 10,000 cows are to be tested this year.
The massive slaughtering of cattle and tests for 'mad cow' disease
with the said method are part of a European campaign to stop the
disease from spreading in some EU countries and the method has been
introduced immediately in Croatia for the sake of consumer
protection.
Almost 90 percent of the cattle which will be slaughtered and tested
is owned by private breeders whereas heifers were mostly imported
from Germany and Austria. If it is established that some cows are
infected, a procedure of non-hazardous disposal of the body and the
entire breed from which the animal originated will be carried out.
According to the results of control check-ups of all cows in
Croatia, the country is most probably free of the disease and there
is little chance that the infectious agent has entered Croatia
since 1990 because Croatia has not imported live cows or beef
products from Great Britain since 1990.
(hina) rml