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Older beef goes back the menu
The Over Thirty Month Scheme (OTMS) dictated that beef from cattle over 30 months of age was banned from entering the food chain but that is all set to change, and such products will soon be back on sale. Margaret Stewart examines the implications of the new rules...
The Over Thirty Month Scheme (OTMS) was originally introduced as part of the package of measures put in place to guarantee food safety in the wake of the BSE crisis in 1996. The Food Standards Agency have now recommended that the OTM rules should be replaced by a strict testing regime, similar to that operating throughout the rest of Europe.
The practical aspects of how this change will work are simple. All of the key control measures implemented in 1996 which governed the production and processing of cattle will remain, and all cattle over 30 months will be individually tested, post-slaughter, for BSE. Slaughter plants will have to be individually inspected and approved to deal with these older animals, and any animals born before August 1996 will continue to be excluded from the food chain.
Over and above these controls, the Scottish industry has gone one step further. Scotch Beef has a reputation for quality and, following a consultation with a range of stakeholder organisations, it has been agreed to permit beef only from clean heifers (i.e. those which have not given birth) and steers of all ages in the definition of the Scotch Beef brand.
These animals, like all under-30-month-old cattle, must:
- Be born and reared for all of their lives on an assured farm in Scotland
- Be slaughtered in an assured abattoir in accordance with QMS Assurance standards
- Meet the carcase specifications 2, 3, 4L, 4H or 5L for fatness and E,U,R, O+ for conformation, thus excluding carcasses of the poorest classifications
Consequently, cow beef from older animals which have given birth to calves will not be included in the Scotch Beef brand.
These decisions will protect the reputation of the brand, and caterers and manufacturers will be able to source beef that is a product of the fully integrated vertical Scottish assurance chain. In turn, this will ensure that the beef will be produced to the highest standards, as well as being fully traceable, safe and economical.
The flow of these older cattle into the food chain commenced on 7 November 2005, traditionally the busiest time of year for processors, butchers and manufacturers. The expected reopening of export markets early in 2006 will further affect supplies, so the real impact may not be felt until well into the New Year.
QMS is currently producing a leaflet on the subject. Email info@qmscotland for your copy.
This article has been edited from the original. To view the feature in full, please see Catering in Scotland magazine. To join our database, go to Media Pack on this website and click on Subscribe.
