EU demands tighter TB milk checks by officials

EU inspectors have found there were no official controls by Irish Government officials at dairy establishment and milk purchaser levels, to ensure that milk from TB reactors does not enter the food chain.

The system of communication between different agencies involved was at fault, said the inspectors.

The EU Food and Veterinary Office inspection last October also found there could be contradictory information on the health status of herds under TB restriction, at slaughterhouses.

In response to the FVO findings, Department of Agriculture procedures were to be amended by the end of Jun 2012. A formal system of communication between the relevant divisions of the Department in the cases of TB breakdowns was to be established by Apr 2012.

When herds are restricted due to TB breakdown, dairy farmers are advised to isolate the reactors and restrict them from milking for human consumption. They are told that the milk from healthy animals in TB restricted herds may be used for the manufacture of heat treated milk or milk-based products Or the milk can be fed to calves after boiling or pasteurisation.

In turn, milk purchasers are required to put in place control systems so that milk suppliers notify them if they have TB or brucellosis reactors. However, several dairy businesses visited by EU inspectors last October had no documented procedures to ensure compliance with these requirements.

And the inspectors said there was no official control at farm level over the destination of milk. During one farm visit the explanation received was that the farmer disposes of the milk with the slurry.

Following a TB outbreak, the standard operating procedure is that the District Veterinary Office notifies a dairy inspector. In one of the dairy establishments visited by EU inspectors, it was identified that two of its supplying herds were under TB restrictions, and the dairy establishment had not been notified. Evidence of such notifications and of subsequent action taken by dairy inspectors was not seen during the EU audit.

There were no dairy establishment operator or milk purchaser checks or official controls for non-delivery of milk from reactor animals.

Inspectors also found some non-compliance with the requirement of two TB and brucellosis tests annually in herds which supply milk for un-pasteurised processing.