92000E3947

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3947/00

by Christopher Huhne (ELDR) to the Commission

(13 December 2000)

Subject: Wine production methods

Will the Commission confirm that in certain wine-producing Member States it is the practice to use products made from dried blood in order to clarify wine?

Will the Commission also confirm that such blood may come from cattle?

Does it believe there is any risk of contamination if such blood were to come from BSE infected herds?

Answer given by Mr Byrne on behalf of the Commission

(7 March 2001)

The list of substances which may be used for the clarification of wine is laid down in Annex IV of Council regulation (EC) No 1493/1999 of 17 May 1999 on the common organisation of the market in wine(1). As blood is not included in this list, it may not be used for this purpose.

In relation to the general point of the safety of bovine blood with respect to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, the Scientific Steering Committee has considered the point of the safety of ruminant blood with respect to transmissible spongiform encephalopathy risks. While it recommended the avoidance of slaughter techniques causing the dispersion of potentially contaminated brain material in the blood stream, such as pithing, it did not recommend the removal of ruminant blood from the human food chain. Pithing has since been prohibited by Commission Decision 2000/418/EC of 29 June 2000 regulating the use of material presenting risks as regards transmissible spongiform encephalopathies and amending Decision 94/474/EC(2).

(1) OJ L 271, 21.10.1999.

(2) OJ L 158, 30.6.2000.