Consumption of beef tongue and sweetbread: risk for public health?

In order to restrict the risk for public health that could arise from the consumption of BSE-infected food, several measures such as the removal and destruction of specified risk material (SRM) which includes the tonsils, have to be implemented. The present paper describes the exact anatomical location of the bovine lingual tonsil and demonstrates that the currently prescribed technique to harvest bovine tongues at the slaughterhouse is not appropriate to remove all SRM. We therefore propose a curved incision starting three cm rostral to the most caudal vallate papilla and undermining the lingual mucosa unto the level of this papilla. To severe the tongue from the head, the incision is followed by a transverse cut towards the lingual process of the hyoid bone. Additionally, we present some data about the bovine thymus from which we can deduce that its consumption is safe to public health.