Top vet wants to see microchips for all UK horses after meat row
THE Welsh president of the British Veterinary Association is calling for all horses to be microchipped in a long-term bid to safeguard public health in the ongoing horsemeat scandal.
Peter Jones, from Caernarfon, Gwynedd, said the current horse passport system was not fit for purpose and that the tracking system needed to be tightened up.
He said: “It goes without saying that everyone has a right to know what’s in the food they eat.
“The headlines about horsemeat will no doubt continue but what is already clear is that in a very short space of time, the news has undermined confidence in the food chain.
“And it has called into question the veracity of the horse passport system, which is clearly not fit for purpose.
“We need to look ahead now and agree what we need from the passport system and how we can achieve that – for both animal and human health.
“We would renew our 2009 call for all horses to be microchipped – not just foals – and for a single, national equine database.
“These measures may not be cheap but what price can we honestly put on regaining confidence in the food chain?”
But he cautioned against a reaction that would impact on all livestock.
Mr Jones said: “Whether it is wholesale change or adapting the current system, there is no doubt that things do need to change.
“But we would warn against a knee-jerk response across the whole food chain that could unnecessarily impact on the cost of production in the UK.
“While initial price rises would be borne by the retailers and consumers, as the drive for cheap food inevitably occurs, we fear that farmers could be squeezed financially with consequences for animal health and welfare.
“Ultimately, we need a system that works and inspires confidence without undue burden.”
Mr Jones reiterated the association’s call for clearer labelling for animal welfare and action to limit slaughter without stunning.
He said: “Our call for better welfare labelling was, of course, heightened during the recent debate over welfare at slaughter and our call for a ban on slaughter without stunning.
“And on this issue the time is now.
“With European legislation on slaughter being implemented into UK law this year, it provides us with a golden opportunity to rethink a system that allows meat from slaughter without stunning to enter the mainstream food chain.
“The fact that consumers are not allowed to know whether their meat is slaughtered in a way which severely compromises the welfare of the animals in question is simply unacceptable.
“If an outright ban is not possible, because of political sensitivities, then we want to see the welfare of these animals improved, through post-cut stunning and enhanced enforcement of welfare legislation.
“And we want to see the demand for these products reduced through clearer labelling that would make it financially unattractive for slaughterhouses to supply meat from non-stun slaughter into the secular market.”
Speaking at the annual BVA annual London dinner, he also called for everyone to get behind the puppy contract and for an inquiry into illegal imports of puppies for sale.
He said: “We are grateful to both the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee for their support for the puppy contract.
“When it was launched last year it gained the support of almost all of the major dog-welfare organisations.
“And when it is reviewed this year we very much hope that we can bring everyone on board.”
Read more: Wales Online http://www.walesonline.co.uk/countryside-farming-news/farming-news/2013/03/05/top-vet-wants-to-see-microchips-for-all-uk-horses-after-meat-row-91466-32923015/#ixzz2Mvyr18vy