And here’s another interesting chunk of Archivery via Period Sites in Period Browsers that doesn’t appear to be online anywhere else – A mid 1990s chronology of the BSE outbreak in the UK as published by the MAFF.
Timeline
| DATE | EVENT |
| November 1986 | Disease identified by Central Veterinary Laboratory following study of affected cow referred to Weybridge for investigation and post mortem. Transmission experiments needed which required fresh material from animals thought to be suffering from the same problem |
| April 1987 | Initial epidemiological studies started. Objective was to obtain detailed data from a case study of 200 herds |
| 5 June 1987 | CVO informs Ministers about new disease. Transmission experiment then put under way. Not known if disease was transmissible at that stage. Normal time for disease to develop in mice proved to be about 10 months. Results available September 1988 and published October 1988 in Veterinary Record |
| 15 December 1987 | Initial epidemiology studies completed. Concluded ruminant derived meat and bone meal was only viable hypothesis for cause of BSE |
| January-March 1988 | Double checking of feeding histories of affected animals initiated; request sent to compounders for details of inclusion of meat and bone meal in rations fed |
| April-May 1988 | Responses from compounders further substantiated hypothesis for cause of BSE |
| 21 April 1988 | Southwood Working Party announced. Government indicated that they would legislate to make BSE notifiable and to ban feeding of rations that contained protein derived from ruminants |
| June 1988 | Discussions with major compounders on timing of ruminant feed ban |
| 14 June 1988 | The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Order 1988 SI 1988 No 1039 |
| 20 June 1988 | Southwood Working Party held first meeting and decided to issue interim advice immediately |
| 21 June 1988 | Provisions of BSE Order 1988 came into effect with the exception of article 7. Made BSE notifiable and provided for isolation of BSE suspects when calving |
| 22 June 1988 | Interim advice received from Southwood – destroy affected cattle; proposed feed ban welcomed |
| 7 July 1988 | Decision to introduce slaughter policy announced |
| 18 July 1988 | Ruminant feed ban comes into force (included in BSE Order 1988, but implementation delayed until 18 July). Ban to apply until 31 December 1988 while a review of rendering processes was conducted |
| 8 August 1988 | Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Amendment) Order 1988 (SI 1988 No 1345) and the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Compensation Order 1988 (SI 1988 No 1346) came into effect. Provided for slaughter policy and compensation to be paid at 50% value for confirmed cases, 100% for negative; both subject to a ceiling |
| October 1988 | Transmission to mice following intra cerebral inoculation of BSE brain tissue reported in Veterinary Record |
| 15 November 1988 | Further interim advice received from Southwood – extend feed ban and destroy milk from infected cattle |
| 28 November 1988 | Disease made notifiable & slaughter policy introduced in N Ireland by the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Order (Northern Ireland) 1988 (SI 1988 No 422) and the Diseases of Animals (Modification) (No 2) Order (Northern Ireland 1988 (SI 1988 No 421) |
| 30 November 1988 | Decision announced to prolong feed ban and prohibit the use of milk from suspect animals for any purpose other than feeding to the cow’s own calf |
| 30 December 1988 | The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (No 2) Order 1988 (SI 1988 No 2299) came into force to prolong feed ban and to prohibit use of milk from suspect cattle for any purpose other than feeding to cow’s own calf |
| 11 January 1989 | Diseases of Animals (Feeding Stuffs) Order (Northern Ireland) 1989 (SI 1989 No 8) banned the use of animal protein in ruminant feed in N Ireland |
| 9 February 1989 | Southwood Report received by Ministers |
| 27 February 1989 | Southwood Report published and Government response announced (all recommendations have or will be introduced) |
| 27 February 1989 | Establishment of Tyrrell Committee on research announced (one of Southwood’s recommendations) |
| 10 June 1989 | Tyrrell Report received by Government |
| 13 June 1989 | Decision to introduce offals ban announced. Ban is Government initiative not a recommendation of Southwood, it was only concerned with babyfood |
| 28 July 1989 | EC ban on export of cattle born before 18 July 1988 and offspring of affected or suspect animals (Decision 89/469/EEC) |
| 13 November 1989 | The Bovine Offal (Prohibition) Regulations 1989 (SI 1989 No 2061) Regulation came into force in England and Wales which banned the use of certain specified bovine offals (SBO) (following consultation – a legal requirement – and consideration by top experts) |
| 9 January 1990 | Publication of Tyrrell Report and Government response (all top and medium priority work recommended either under way or would be undertaken). Publication delayed so could ensure finance for R & D was in place. Research itself was not delayed |
| 30 January 1990 | The Bovine Offal (Prohibition) (Scotland) Regulations 1990 (SI 1990 No 112) and the Bovin Offal (Prohibition) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1990 (SI 1990 No 30) introduced the SBO ban in Scotland and Northern Ireland following additional consultation |
| 31 January 1990 | Announcement that 5 antelopes have succumbed to a spongiform encephalopathy (greater kudu, arabian oryx, eland, myala and gemsbok. The last two were referred to in Southwood report) |
| 3 February 1990 | Cattle to cattle transmission following intra-cerebral and intra-venous inoculation of BSE brain tissue and into mice via the oral route reported in Veterinary Record, following press briefing on 2 February |
| 14 February 1990 | The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Compensation Order (SI 1990 No 222) introduction full compensation up to a ceiling. There was no sudden surge of cases indicating that farmers had not been reporting. Pattern of reporting was unaffected |
| 1 March 1990 | EC restricts exports of cattle to those under six months which are slaughtered before that age (Decision 90/59/EEC made 7 February) |
| 30 March 1990 | Administrative ban on export of specified offal and certain glands and organs (for uses other than human consumption) to other Member States |
| 1 April 1990 | Disease made notifiable to European Commission (Decision 90/134/EEC made 6 March) |
| 3 April 1990 | Announcement about the establishment of permanent advisory group on spongiform encephalopathies under Chairmanship of Dr David Tyrrell |
| 9 April 1990 | EC Decision to ban exports of SBO and other tissues (90/200/EEC) – formalises administrative ban imposed on 30 March |
| 11 April 1990 | Humberside County Council withdraw British beef from school meals |
| 10 May 1990 | Announcement about cat with a spongiform encephalopathy |
| 17 May 1990 | Announcement that decisions about breeding from offspring of affected cows should be left to individual farmers and their veterinary advisors |
| 8 June 1990 | Council of Ministers agree arrangements for trade in beef and calves from UK (Decision 90/261/EEC made 8 June) |
| 12 July 1990 | Publication of Tyrrell Committee’s detailed reasoning on why no need to give official advice on breeding from offspring of BSE cases |
| 12 July 1990 | Report of Agriculture Committee published |
| 23 July 1990 | UK progress report to OIE meeting |
| 24 September 1990 | Announcement on improved record keeping in cattle herds |
| 24 September 1990 | Laboratory transmission of BSE to a pig announced. Tyrrell Committee advise no implications for human health but, as precaution on animal health, ban specified offals in all animal feed (including pet food) |
| 25 September 1990 | The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (No 2) Amendment Order 1990 (SI 1990 No 1930) extended the ban on the use of specified bovine offals to any animal feed. Exports of such feed also effectively banned to other Member States. (Third country exports banned under DTI legislation on 10 July 1991) |
| 28-29 September 1990 | OIE meeting in Paris; recommendations made regarding trade in cattle, beef, dairy and bovine products and co-ordination of research |
| 2-5 October 1990 | OIE Conference in Sofia (Bulgaria); recommendations made regarding trade, prevention, control and surveillance of BSE, the support of research and the need for further consideration on trade in live animals |
| 15 October 1990 | The Bovine Animals (Identification, Marking and Breeding Records) Order 1990 (SI 1990 No 1867) introduced new record keeping arrangements requiring cattle farmers to maintain breeding records. These and movement records to be retained for ten years |
| 21 November 1990 | Publication of Government response to Agriculture Committee Report |
| 27 March 1991 | First case announced in BSE offspring born after ruminant feed ban |
| May 1991 | UK Progress Report to the OIE General Assembly |
| 10 July 1991 | The Export of Goods (Control) (Amendment No 7) Order 1991 came into force controlling export of SBOs to third countries (Dept. of Trade and Industry legislation) |
| 16-20 September 1991 | Meeting of OIE International Animal Health Code Commission in Paris |
| 28-30 October | OIE Conference in Tehran |
| 1991 6 November 1991 | The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Order 1991 consolidated existing BSE legislation and introduced new provisions to prevent the use of meat and bone meal produced from SBOs as a fertiliser |
| 4 March 1992 | Results of further experiments on the host range of BSE announced. Also that the Tyrrell Committee had considered the latest BSE research and concluded that the measures at present in place provide adequate safeguards for human and animal health |
| May 1992 | UK Progress Reports to the OIE General Assembly |
| May 1992 | OIE General Assembly in Paris agree trading conditions for bovine products from countries affected by BSE |
| 14 May 1992 | EC Commission Decision prohibiting intra community trade in bovine embryos derived from BSE suspect or confirmed dams or dams born after 18/7/88 (Decision 92/290/EEC) |
| 30 June 1992 | Publication of the ‘Interim Report on Research’ by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (Tyrrell) |
| November 1992 | UK Progress Report presented to the EC Standing Veterinary Committee |
| 24 November 1992 | Announced by PQ that details of the total number of cases (by county) would be placed regularly in the library of the House of Commons |
| 15 December 1992 | UK Progress Report placed in the library of the House of Commons |
| 24 May 1993 | UK Progress Report presented to the OIE General Assembly |
| 27 May 1993 | UK Progress Report to the OIE placed in the House of Commons library |
| 10 June 1993 | UK Progress Report presented to the EC Standing Veterinary Committee (same as OIE Progress Report) |
| 14 July 1993 | 100,000th confirmed case of BSE in Great Britain announced in response to a Parliamentary Question, as an update to the UK Progress Report to the OIE |
| 25 November 1993 | GB Progress Report placed in the library of the House of Commons |
| 1 April 1994 | The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Compensation Order (SI 1994 No 6743) came into force and introduced changes to the BSE compensation arrangements |
| 26 April 1994 | GB Progress Report placed in the library of the House of Commons |
| May 1994 | UK Progress Report presented to the OIE General Assembly |
| 27 June 1994 | Commission Decision 94/381 on BSE and feeding of mammalian derived protein. Prohibition on the feeding of mammalian protein to ruminants throughout EU other than Denmark |
| June 1994 | UK Progress Report updated |
| 27 June 1994 | Commission Decision 94/382 made on the approval of alternative heat treatment systems for processing animal waste. Effective 1 January 1995 |
| 30 June 1994 | Interim results of further BSE experiment (pathogenesis) announced. Extension of SBO ban implemented voluntarily by industry |
| 27 July 1994 | Commission Decision 94/474 introduced new measures on beef export as main changes. Required bone-in beef for export to come from cattle certified not to have been on holdings where BSE has been confirmed in previous 6 years |
| 2 November 1994 | Bovine Offal (Prohibition) (Amendment) Regulations 1994 came into force, extending ban on use of some SBO in human food to calves under 6 months of age slaughtered for human consumption. The Spongiform Encephalopathy (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 1994 came into force, extending ban on use of SBOs in animal feed, banning the use of mammalian protein in ruminant feedingstuffs and making notifiable laboratory suspicion of spongiform encephalopathies in species other than cattle, sheep and goats |
| 14 December 1994 | Commission Decision 94/474 amended by Decision 94/794. Beef from cattle born after 1 January 1992 excluded from certification requirement |
| 16 December 1994 | GB progress report placed in the Library of the House of Commons |
| February 1995 | SEAC report ‘Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies – a summary of present knowledge and research’ published |
| 6 March 1995 | Commission Decision 95/60 lifts the restriction in Commission Decision 94/381 on the use of milk, gelatin, amino acids, dicalcium phosphate and dried plasma and other blood products from mammalian tissues in feedingstuffs for ruminants. SEAC are being consulted on the Commission Decision and its implications for gelatin |
| 1 April 1995 | Bovine Offal (Prohibition) (Amendment) Regulations 1995 came into force which make it a requirement to stain SBO with a solution of Patent Blue V (E 131, 1971 Colour Index No 42051) |
| 15 May 1995 | UK progress report presented to the OIE General Assembly in Paris |
| 18 May 1995 | GB progress report placed in the Library of the House of Commons |
| 18 July 1995 | Commission Decision 94/474 as amended by Commission Decision 94/794 now amended by 95/287 introduced new measures on beef exports. Previous requirement to exempt beef from cattle born after 1 January 1992 from certification requirements replaced with provision to exempt beef from cattle less than 2 1/2 years of age at slaughter. Also introduced requirement for routine monitoring in feed mills |
| 15 August 1995 | The Specified Bovine Offal Order 1995 (SI 1995 No 1928) took effect. The Order consolidated and streamlined the old rules on SBO. The main changes introduced were tighter controls on record keeping; dedicated lines for rendering plants processing SBO; a prohibition on the removal of brains and eyes so that the whole skull must be disposed of as SBO and a prohibition on the removal of the spinal cord from the vertebral column except in slaughterhouses |
| 28 November 1995 | Acting on advice from SEAC the Government announced its decision to suspend the use of bovine vertebral column in the manufacture of mechanically recovered meat |
| 14 December 1995 | November Progress Report placed in the Library of the House of Commons |
| 15 December 1995 | The Specified Bovine Offal (Amendment) Order 1995 and the Export of Goods (Control) (Amendment Number 2) Order 1995 took effect. The SBO (Amendment) Order prohibits the use of the bovine vertebral column in the manufacture of all MRM and also in the production of some other products for human consumption. It prohibits the use of bovine MRM made from the vertebral column in food for humans. It requires all plants producing bovine MRM to register with MAFF. Finally, it prohibits the export of bovine MRM made from the vertebral column to other EC member states. The other Order prohibits the export of bovine MRM made from the vertebral column to third countries for human consumption |
| 20 March 1996 | Government announces its intention to consult on further control measures following advice from SEAC. They are that carcasses from cattle aged over 30 months must be deboned in specially licensed plants supervised by the Meat Hygiene Service and that the trimmings be kept out of the food chain; and that the use of mammalian meat and bonemeal in feed for all farm animals be banned |
| 27 March 1996 | Commission Decision 96/239 prohibits the export from the United Kingdom of live bovine animals, their semen and embryos; meat of bovine animals slaughtered in the United Kingdom; products obtained from bovine animals slaugtered in the United Kingdom which are liable to enter the animal feed or human food chain, and materials destined for use in medicinal products, cosmetics or pharmaceutical products; and mammalian derived meat and bone meal |
| 28 March 1996 | Government announces new BSE controls, the calf slaughter scheme and financial aid for the rendering industry |
| 29 March 1996 | The Beef (Emergency Control) Order 1996 (SI 1996 No 961) prohibits the sale for human consumption of any meat from bovine animals showing more than two permanent incisors. The prohibition was introduced as an emergency measure pending consideration of a more targetted approach to protecting human health |
| 29 March 1996 | The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Amendment) Order 1996 (SI 1996 No 962) prohibits the sale or supply of any mammalian meat and bone meal, or any feeding stuff known to include mammalian meat and bone meal, for the purpose of feeding to farm animals, including horses and farmed fish. This requirement was introduced on the advice of the independent Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee |
| 29 March 1996 | The Specified Bovine Material Order 1996 (SI 1996 No 963) replaces the Specified Bovine Offal Order 1995 and introduced a requirement that the whole head of all cattle over 6 months, except for the tongue provided that it can be removed without contamination, must be treated in the same way as material designated as ‘specified bovine offal’. This requirement was introduced on the advice of the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee |
| 3 April 1996 | Government announces changes to the Beef (Emergency Control) Order and the introduction of a 30 month slaughter scheme to ensure that all bovine animals over the age of 30 months at the time of slaughter do not enter the human food or animal feed chain. This scheme replaces the scheme for compulsory deboning as advised by the Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee |
| 4 April 1996 | The Beef (Emergency Control) (Amendment) Order 1996 (SI 1996 No 1043) provides for the use of Cattle Identification Documents to identify the age of cattle even if they have more than two teeth |
| 13 April 1996 | The Beef (Emergency Control) (Amendment) (No 2) Order 1996 (SI 1996 No 1091) amends the Emergency Control Order to exempt from the restriction meat derived from animals slaughtered in certain third countries where no cases of BSE have been recorded |
| 19 April 1996 | The Fertilisers (Mammalian Meat and Bone Meal) Regulations 1996 (SI 1996 No 1125) prohibits the use of meat and bonemeal as, or in, fertiliser used on agricultural land. It is only permitted for use in private gardens, and within greenhouses and glass or plastic structures |
| 19 April 1996 | Commission Regulation (EC) No 716/96 sets out the terms for which the EC will provide aid, and the level of that aid, in respect of animals slaughtered under the 30 month slaughter scheme |
| 23 April 1996 | The Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) (Amendment) Regulations 1996 (SI 1996 No 1148) permits slaughterhouses to participate in the schemes slaughtering cattle over 30 months and calves under ten days old. Normally slaughterhouses are only permitted to slaughter animals intended for human consumption. Permission to slaughter these scheme animals is subject to strict separation from any meat intended for sale for human consumption |
| 29 April 1996 | The Beef (Emergency Control) (Amendment) (No 3) Order 1996 (SI 1996 No 1166) provides for a document which can demonstrate the age of cattle in which more than two permanent incisors have erupted and which are not issued with a national identification document. The latter are only issued to traded male cattle and the amendment will provide for documentary checks for female cattle |
| 1 May 1996 | The Specified Bovine Materials (No 2) Order 1996 (SI 1996 No 1192) amends and replaces the Specified Bovine Material Order 1996. Its effect is to amend the way in which existing controls apply to specified material from animals slaughtered under Commission Regulation 716/96. It requires specified bovine material (SBM) to be removed from carcases and handled separately, just as for animals below 30 months. The carcase meat from cattle slaughtered under the Commission Regulation must be dyed a different colour from SBM. The Order also brings the existing rules on rendering and disposal into line with EC requirements |
| 1 May 1996 | The Bovine Animals (Enforcement of Community Purchase Scheme) Regulations 1996 (SI 1996 No 1193) make provision for the enforcement of certain of the new requirements of Commission Regulation 716/96. The new legislation creates offences in respect of breaches of the provisions of this Regulation and specifies the penalties involved. It applies to approved operators of incinerators or rendering plants, approved under the Specified Bovine Material (No 2) Order 1996 and to licensed operators of slaughterhouses licensed under the Fresh Meat (Hygiene and Inspection) Regulations 1995, whose premises are designated under the terms of Commission Regulation 716/96 |
| 6 May 1996 | Commission Regulation (EC) 835/96 amending Commission Regulation 716/96 by allowing the weight of animals under OTM to be calculated by deadweight |
| 23 May 1996 | The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Compensation (Amendment) Order 1996 (SI 1996 No 1351) amends the definition of ‘market value’ and the formula used to calculate the indicative market price (IMP). This ensures that compensation levels are protected from the effects of substantial decline in market prices |
| 31 May 1996 | UK BSE Eradication Programme sent to the Commission |
| 10 June 1996 | Launch of the feed recall scheme. The aim of the scheme was to collect and dispose of any NMM and feed containing NOM which was still on fanns, at feed mills and at feed merchants |
| 11 June 1996 | Commission Decision 96/362/EC provides for partial lifting of the export ban with respect to gelatin, tallow and semen |
| 17 June 1996 | Commission Regulation 96/1091/EC temporarily permitting the UK to authorise set-aside land for grazing bovine animals of more than 30 months |
| 21 June 1996 | The Arable Area Payments (Grazing of Bovine Animals on Set-aside land) (Temporary Provisions) Regulations 1996 (SI 1996/1593) implements Commission Regulation EC 1091/96 |
| 21 June 1996 | Framework for lifting the export ban agreed at Florence European Council |
| 24 June 1996 | Commission Decision 96/385/EC approves the UK’s plan for the eradication of BSE |
| 1 July 1996 | May Progress Report placed in the Library of the House of Commons |
| 1 July 1996 | The Cattle Passports Order 1996 (SI 1996/1686) introduces mandatory cattle movement documents (‘cattle passports’) in GB for all cattle born from 1 July 1996 |
| 5 July 1996 | The Beef (Emergency Control) (Revocation) Order 1996 (SI 1996/1742) came into force – revokes the Beef (Emergency Control) Order and its amendments |
| 5 July 1996 | The Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) Regulations 1996 (SI 1996/1743) replaces the Beef (Emergency Control) Order 1996 as amended, in similar terms |
| 8 July 1996 | Council Regulation (EC) no 1357/96 providing for additional premium payments in respect of male bovine animals of suckler cows |
| 22 July 1996 | Commissioner Fischler recommends to the Agricultural Council that EU wide controls to remove certain SBM tissues be introduced. Recognises the possibility that sheep throughout the EU could be exposed to BSE, and that EU wide controls be introduced |
| 24 July 1996 | Following SEAC advice the Government announces its intention to introduce controls to require the removal of sheep’s heads from the food chain, an interim measure pending EU wide controls. This followed publication of evidence that BSE could be isolated from the spleen of sheep experimentally infected with BSE |
| 26 July 1996 | The SBM (No 3) Order 1996 (SI 1996/1941) comes into force – revokes and remakes with amendments the Specified Bovine Material (No 2) Order 1996. One amendment extends the Order to solid matter trapped in drainage systems where bovine animals are slaughtered or their carcases processed |
| 29 July 1996 | Commission Regulation (EC) 1512/96 further amending Regulation 716/96 to reduce the dead weight coefficient for clean cattle entered in the over 30 months scheme, from 2 to 1.7 |
| 31 July 1996 | Government consulted on its proposed legislation to require the separation of vertebral column from raw materials used to produce tallow |
| 1 August 1996 | MAFF announces that SEAC has considered the interim results of MAFF research on maternal transmission (Cohort Study). SEAC concluded that there may be very low levels of maternal transmission of BSE occurring. Final results of the research will not be available until 1997 |
| 19 August 1996 | The Beef Assurance Scheme for specialist grass reared beef herds which have not been affected by BSE or come into contact with meat and bonemeal was introduced |
| 29 August 1996 | New epidemiological analysis carried out by Professor Anderson of Oxford University and his team, in collaboration with Wilesmith and others at VLA, published in Nature, Vol 382. The analysis supports Government predictions and indicates that the epidemic will virtually die out around 2001 irrespective of any further measures |
| 4 September 1996 | Bovine Products(Despatch to Other Member States) Regulations 1996 (SI 1996/2265) implements Article 1A of Commission Decision 93/362 |
| 15 September 1996 | The Heads of Sheep and Goats Order 1996 (SI 1196/2264) prohibits the sale for human consumption of any part of the head of a sheep or goat (with the exception of the tongue) and of any food containing any part of such heads |
| 18 September 1996 | Commission announced its decision to seek the advice of its Multi-Disciplinary Committee on the Anderson Article |
| 19 September 1996 | Ministers announced that in light of the findings on maternal transmission and the Anderson Study further work is needed on appropriate culling strategies. The UK is not therefore proceeding with the selective cull at this stage |
| 1 October 1996 | Fresh Meat (Beef Controls) (No 2) (Amendment) Regulations 1996, alter one of the conditions of eligibility and one of the conditions of continued membership of the Beef Assurance Scheme |
The original timeline page – as archived by the Wayback Machine – can be found here.
The PSPB page – in all of it’s wondrous Solaris 2.6 with HotJava 1.0 glory – can be found at ‘Solaris 2.6 SPARC with HotJava 1.0 showing a page from ‘MAFF – The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food’.
And, with that, I shall leave you with this delightful mid-90s MAFF logo…
