Data Retention Regulations in the Lords

[Florian Weimer]

* Nigel Metheringham:

>>> - and the manufacturers say that the swabs in
>>> question were not sold as suitable for DNA forensic work.
>
> [again, as I should have specified, my comment was more based on the
> broadcast news I heard, rather than the web version - which has a time
> stamp some 12 hours before then.  The web version was rather more
> circumspect.

This appears to be the product German media are referring to:

|     * Cat.-No.: 421084
|     * Product description:
|       COTTON SWAB, STERILE 2,2/145 MM,SINGLE PACKED
|     * Packaging weight: 3.100 kg
|     * Packaging dimension: 490 x 400 x 360 mm
|     * Packaging details: 1400 St=FCck / Karton
|=20
| Cotton swabs
|=20
| Suitable for collection and transport of non-human bacteriological,
| serological and cytological samples.
|=20
| Also useful for hygienic controls in food industry as well as in
| environmental field.
|=20
|     * Height: 145 mm
|     * Sterilised by irradiation

<http://www.greinerbioone.com/en/germany/articles/catalogue/article/164_1/8=
790/>

The actual page is not Google-cached, but there's an overview page
which is (retrieved 2009-03-22), and it says:

| Swab tubes and swabs are only suitable for the collection and
| transport of non-human bacteriological, serological and cytological
| samples.

Of course, there might be another, similar product which has been
removed from the web site in response to recent events, or the product
description may have been updated post-sale, without notifying the
buyers (expect shelf life is 5 years).

The woman hasn't been identified yet, it seems.  This is the second
blunder state interior secretary Heribert Rech faces within weeks.
The other one involved a presumed announcement of the Winnenden school
shooting on an obscure image messaging board, which turned out to be a
likely fake after Rech labeled it as genuine in a press briefing.