Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what analysis and research her Department has undertaken into the potential risk to human health of the transportation of animal carcasses and animal products in unsealed and unrefrigerated vehicles to rendering facilities.

Defra has not undertaken research into the potential risk to human health of the transportation of animal carcasses and animal products in unsealed and unrefrigerated vehicles to rendering facilities.

EU animal by-products (ABP) legislation, which is in force to protect public and animal health, requires animal carcasses and other ABP material to be collected and transported in sealed new packaging or covered leak-proof containers or vehicles at an appropriate temperature. Non-compliance with this requirement is a criminal offence under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013. In addition, the Government has been urging the rendering industry to consider what improvements can be made to current practice when transporting ABPs and on the issue of cooling carcasse material.

The Department understands that the rendering industry is currently undertaking and funding its own research into the costs and benefits of chilling ABPs during storage and transport.