The committee holds hygiene fears

It said that deer must continue to be culled for environmental reasons but warned that, with venison exports banned, supply would outstrip demand.

Surplus animals will be worth little and the committee fears that some animals will bypass the stringent - but expensive - systems in place to ensure the proper hygiene standards of food for export.

It said caterers and hoteliers should not be tempted by back-door offers on the black market and pointed out that such sales are illegal in the highly regulated and licensed game meat industry.

The food standards committee has also urged a re-think of European proposals for the labelling of GM food.

Hygiene laws

Members described the current wording as ill thought out and unenforceable.

The provisional draft proposals are out for consultation throughout the EC.

On Tuesday, three more Scottish farms were placed under foot-and-mouth restrictions amid fears that a second strain of the virus could spread throughout the UK.

Ross Finnie: Warned against complacency

Scotland's Rural Affairs Minister Ross Finnie said the threat of another outbreak hinged on whether people remained vigilant or became complacent.

Last year, the Scottish Food Advisory Committee promised to crack down on shops and restaurants which break hygiene laws.

In its report, the Food Standards Agency said that almost a quarter of the 54,000 places where food is sold in Scotland received written warnings for breaking health and hygiene regulations.