Member

I am very cautious about the inclusion of meat waste, particularly raw meat, in compost bins. As the Minister will know, raw meat, such as pork—we are never supposed to eat pink or underdone pork—can carry the dangerous pathogens of tapeworms, and these pathogens must be neutralized through thorough heating in the composting process. If the composting process does not reach the required temperature to kill harmful pathogens, and that is about 160 degrees Fahrenheit or 71 degrees centigrade, there is a risk that harmful microorganisms could survive and contaminate the final product, but I also understand that if composting goes above 60 degrees it kills off the good microbes, which are essential for good compost. I am quite happy to be shot down by the Minister if the vets and the Chief Medical Officer say that the science and the cooking times are wrong there, but that is what my research suggests and it worries me.