The UK’s largest shooting association, the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC), has responded to recent statements about the lead shot content of grouse meat.
Food policy and modern risk assessment techniques have established that the assessment of safety and nutritional quality of diet is best achieved through a total diet approach.
This is why the Food Standards Agency has already published advice on game meat consumption. This is similar to advice published by the FSA on swordfish and tuna which forms an equally small part of the average diet.
Dr Matt Ellis, BASC’s scientific advisor, said: “The average consumption of game meat as a whole equates to just under two grammes per person per week*. Of that we estimate grouse to make up 0.06 grammes per person per week.
“To put that in context, Government figures* show that the average consumption of all other meats per person per week in the UK equates to almost a kilogramme – 500 times the amount of game meat as a whole and 16,000 times the amount of grouse.”
Alan Jarrett, BASC chairman, said: “If you don’t base policy on sound evidence, due process and proper risk assessment you will end up with thousands of food and drink products and activities being banned by those that wish to create unsubstantiated food scares for their own political agenda.”
ENDS
*Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-food-2014