BSE infected cow traced, police make two arrests

The shock of the discovery of the first case of BSE has begun to make its impact. The European Union Commissioner for Consumer Protection David Byrne, yesterday said that Poland should introduce precautions related to mad cow disease that are used in the EU. "This was an unfortunate incident, but we have expected it would happen," he said. He stressed that several months ago, EU officials found that Poland had many shortcomings in protecting against BSE, particularly the lack of veterinary inspections, and the fact there is often no information about what animals are actually fed with on farms. The BSE infected cow is now known to have come from Rzepiennik Strzyzewski, near Tarnow. However, documents delivered to the slaughterhouse reveal that the animal was bred by another farmer. Police in the Malopolska region have detained the animal trader who sold the cow without the relevant business permit and the clerk who issued false documents on the origins of the cow. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A1; Gazeta Wyborcza, pp. 1, 19) M.T.