LOBATSE: The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has been shut down to allow for the tracking of the origin of contaminated beef that was rejected by the European Union (EU) market last month. The beef, estimated at millions of Pula, was found to contain salinomycin - a chemical or antibiotic that enhances fast growth of animals. Although BMC has denied that the beef was rejected, it is still unknown why, and how the beef was allowed to reach the EU with the amount of the antibiotic exceeding EU set standards. During a press conference addressed by the management recently, Dr Stephen Ghanie said that the chemical is not harmful for human consumption and that countries have different standards allowed for consumption.
So far, Mmegi is reliably informed that one of the three containers reached the BMC facilities (cold storage) in Cape Town this past Monday, and negotiations are ongoing between the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) and their South African counterparts on whether the latter could be interested in buying the beef for its local market. The beef, which was the first consignment after the ban of Botswana beef in the EU for almost two years, at the cost of hundreds of millions of Pula, is estimated at over a hundred million Pula.
