Warning over lead-poisoned cows after livestock theft in Tasmania
Posted
Tasmania Police have warned people who have been offered free or cheap beef not to accept it, after cattle believed to have consumed lead were stolen from a north-west property and slaughtered.
The Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) has deemed several cattle at a leased property in Sassafras, in Tasmania's north, as unsuitable for human consumption due to high lead content.
In a statement, Tasmania Police said two animals were removed from the property and slaughtered between 1:00pm on February 16 and 1:00pm on March 2.
Police said the cattle were most likely been killed prior to their removal from the property.
"Advice from DPIPWE is that people should not consume the meat due to the high lead content. In addition, the way the cattle was slaughtered poses a potential health risk.
"If you've been offered free or cheap meat on the north-west, verify where it was sourced first. If you can't, don't eat it."
A DPIPWE spokesman said cattle could be exposed to lead when they grazed around on-farm tip sites, sheds and old vehicles which could contain lead batteries, discarded sump oil, building materials, lead-based paint, linoleum, grease, putty, oil filters and a range of other sources.
"Herds that have animals that test above established guidelines for lead levels are deemed not fit for slaughter for human consumption," the spokesman said.
"These animals are then unable to be slaughtered for human consumption until testing reveals lead levels have fallen to below specified target levels."
Police have asked anyone with information to come forward.
Topics: food-safety, food-poisoning, diseases-and-disorders, livestock, sassafras-7307
