Italian officials try to allay fears of suspected BSE

Italy's government and meat industry moved to calm public fears today following the announcement of the country's first suspected…

Italy's government and meat industry moved to calm public fears today following the announcement of the country's first suspected case of mad cow disease in seven years.

Farm Minister, Mr Alfonso Scanio, said the government had never underestimated the threat of BSE while Assocarni, the national meat industry association, said 85 per cent of all cattle killed in Italy were too young to pose a risk.

The comments followed the health ministry's confirmation on Saturday that it had detected what could be the first case of BSE in Italy since 1994, in the village of Pontevico in the northern region of Lombardy.

Samples from the cow were being analysed at the national animal health institute in Turin, where officials are due to hold a news conference tomorrow to reveal their findings.

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The announcement triggered some alarm in Italy, which has largely escaped the kind of meat-related health scares which have rocked Britain and France.

Reuters