Composting Threat to Animal Health

Vets and farmers appear ignorant of a new animal disease risk that is sprouting up around the UK.

Our country has to compost waste meat to comply with EU directives to reduce material going to landfill.

Composting is good when it is done in enclosed facilities operating at negative air pressure to the EU standard.

The extracted air is scrubbed to remove odours and fungal spores and the material achieves a temperature of 70 degrees Celsius for one hour and the particle size must not exceed 12mm.

However, Defra vets are allowing waste meat to be composted on livestock farms, which is illegal under the 2001 Animal By-products Order.

My MP has written to Hilary Benn MP, but still this dangerous and illegal activity continues, with the apparent support of the State Veterinary Service.

I was pleased to hear Radio 4 raising concern about this issue. This week is National Compost Awareness Week.

Robert Persey

Honiton

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