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200 tonne consignment of Botswana beef rejected by European Union
The European Union market has rejected a 200 tonne beef consignment from Botswana.
The move follows the Botswana Meat Commission’s failed chemical risk assessment procedure.
The Botswana Meat Commission, which had been banned from exporting beef to the European Union market, resumed last month, but their first consignment was vetoed because the level of antibiotics was above the limit set by the European Union.
Indications are that the meat came from 2,000 cattle from a feedlot where antibiotics may have been used for growth promotion, a development that violates the European Union strategy to combat the threat of antimicrobial resistance to human, animal and plant health.
The European Union’s strategy includes prohibition of antibiotics for non-medical use in animals and covers a range of actions at European Union and national level in the areas of data collection, surveillance, research and awareness-raising.
However, the Botswana Meat Commission this week said they recalled the consignment and intended to re-test it and sell to other markets that have different requirements on levels of salinomycin allowed for human consumption.
Salinomycin is an antibiotic commonly associated with fighting cancer stem cells.
