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Meldrum: still in the limelight. Credit: AP/THIERRY CHARLIER

Keith Meldrum, the British government's chief veterinary officer during the crisis over bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), last week defended his handling of the affair to a public inquiry.

One of the most pivotal figures during the crisis, Meldrum strenuously denied that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food put the interests of industry above those of public health, and refused to criticize the conduct of ministers.

“Those that would suggest that we tended to adopt policies that would favour the agriculture industry and to their advantage and to some extent therefore ignore the consumer would be totally wrong,” said Meldrum. He did, however, acknowledge that, unlike the chief medical officer, he was unable to articulate a view that went against government policy.

Meldrum was speaking on Monday (19 October) at the start of his two-day appearance before the BSE inquiry in London, which was in its 68th day. Meldrum told the inquiry that, although he supported the principle of external advisory committees, he did not always agree with the need for them, particularly where relevant expertise existed within government laboratories.

Meldrum also claimed that the ministry had an “open policy”, and “attempted as far as we were able” to keep all parties fully informed of all aspects of BSE. But he said that, although committed to giving the public “the full facts”, he felt that the media did not always convey all the relevant details.

“How do you ensure that the consumer, the public, is fully informed about the risk and risk assessment to look at the safety of food?” he asked. “The problem is that there is no direct route to the public except through the media. You can produce leaflets, but it is difficult to get the public to read them.”

Meldrum said he would reconsider his decision not to provide the committee with access to a complete tape recorded interview on the BSE affair he gave to researchers from the University of Surrey.