Reading Scientific Services says it is the first and only commercial laboratory in the UK to offer a true testing service for BSE, based on the detection of prions
Reading Scientific Services (RSSL) has invested in new equipment and laboratory facilities to enable it to offer a service for detecting the BSE prion in brain stem material taken from the animal carcass.
It is the prion that is thought to cause BSE in cattle, and is now the subject of discussion in connection with sheep.
Some other laboratories currently claiming to offer a BSE testing service are only able to identify the presence of CNS tissue in a sample, so the test offered by RSSL represents a huge step change in significance for the food industry.
It offers the possibility of setting up a positive release system for all carcasses entering the food chain.
"Only a test for the BSE prion itself is relevant in answering the question as to whether a particular carcass carries the infectious agent," says the company.
"We anticipate that a test for the BSE prion will become a necessary part of the 'due diligence' process in the meat industry."
