It’s a Brazilian wrap, says sausage task force
The makers of Switzerland's national sausage could soon be wrapping the Cervelat again in a casing made from Brazilian bovine intestines.
On Thursday, the Task Force Cervelat said the results of a test show that eating the skins poses no health risks.
The Brazilian casings have been banned by the European Union and Switzerland in response to fears over Mad Cow Disease.
The task force of the Swiss meat industry said it would now ask the Swiss Veterinary Office to make an appeal to Brussels to allow the importation of the Brazilian casings.
A task force spokesman said he hoped this could be the case by 2010.
The Brazilian product is considered ideal since it allows the sausage to curve pleasantly when grilled and is easy to peel when eaten cold.
In the meantime, Swiss butchers will have to make do with imported intestines from Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.
The Swiss eat around 160 million Cervelats every year – or around 21 per capita – accounting for some 30 per cent of domestic sausage output.
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