Since July 1988 the use of cow and sheep remains in farm feed has been banned by the Government. In 1989 the use of ‘specified bovine offals’ or SBOs from cows over six months old for human consumption (which includes the spleen, brain, intenstines, spinal cord and tonsils) was also banned. It was judged that these parts of cattle posed the greatest risk to humans, as the infectious agent of BSE is ordinarily concentrated in these areas.
