The UK Food Standards Agency(FSA)is seeking clarification from the European Food Safety Authority(EFSA)seeking clarification over the production of smoked skin-on sheep meat–also known as smokies.
While smokies are consumed by some minority ethnic communities in the UK,they are banned from being produced legally in the European Union(EU)as current legislation requires all parts of the body of sheep intended for human consumption,except the head and feet,to be skinned.
In May 2010,the FSA wrote to the European Commission seeking a change in EU law to allow production of smokies,after its assessments revealed that hygienic production of smokies was possible.The Commission asked EFSA for its scientific opinion on the FSA studies.
The EFSA opinion,published on 15 June 2011,acknowledged that the FSA-funded studies described a hygienic production method for smokies.However,EFSA noted that they were insufficient to support the conclusion that the smokies produced during the tests were suitable for human consumption.
The Commission accepted the EFSA opinion and stated that the FSA's findings did not provide a basis for amending the legislation.The Commission did,however,indicate it would be happy to discuss the matter further.
The Agency has now written to EFSA seeking clarification of its interpretation of some of the data with a view to informing any future work in this area and the Agency's consideration with industry of the next steps for this project.
