The Department of Agriculture is investigating a suspected case of BSE in Co Louth, which was discovered through the surveillance system on fallen animals.
The fallen animal, which was not presented for slaughter, did not enter the food chain and even if confirmed, the case does not pose a risk to human health.
"The animal did not enter the food chain so there is no food safety risk," a spokesperson from the FSAI told the Irish Farmers Journal. "The Department of Agriculture's BSE control mesaures are so effective that no fallen animal would ever pose a safety risk."
Speaking on the News at One on RTÉ Radio One today, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney said it was an isolated case involving a rare breed of cow and there is "absolutely no risk" to human health.
Under the active surveillance programme, brain samples are taken from the carcases of all cattle that die on farm which are older than 48-months of age.
The case is currently being investigated and results are due in one week. The last case of BSE in Ireland was in 2013.
SHARING OPTIONS: