A Structured Debate on the Safety of Red Meat

A structured debate was held at The National Food Centre, Teagasc between 17 consumers and 3 scientists/experts on the safety of red meat as part of the ongoing FLAIR-FLOW 4 dissemination project. The areas of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), CJD (Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease), meat and bonemeal, meat traceability, ritual vs conventional slaughter, antibiotic residues in meat, the effects of freezing and cooking on E. coli 0157:H7, and lastly crosscontamination of meat at retail outlets were debated in-depth. The consensus was that red meat is safe, provided the necessary safeguards and codes of practice are adhered to. The interaction, intensity and depth of the debate was excellent and both the consumers and scientists/experts found it an informative exercise.