January 24, 2006

US will not halt Canadian beef, cattle imports

The US will not halt imports of Canadian beef or cattle in reaction to the discovery of a new mad-cow case in Canada, US Department of Agriculture officials said Monday.

USDA Secretary Mike Johanns assured Canadian Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell that based on the information supplied, he does not expect changes in the status of beef or live cattle imports to the US from Canada under the established agreement.

Meanwhile, USDA officials said they would pay close attention to Canada's investigation into how the cow in Alberta was infected with mad-cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

USDA Chief Veterinarian John Clifford said the USDA and Food and Drug Administration officials would maintain close contact with Canadian authorities as they proceed with their investigation.

USDA is particularly interested in the source of the infected cow's feed and how many other animals were exposed to the same feed.

BSE is believed to be spread through feed containing infected bovine material.

The USDA banned all Canadian beef and cattle in May 2003 after Canada announced its first native-born case of BSE. Shortly afterward, USDA began allowing in Canadian beef back in, but did not ease its ban on cattle until 2005.

The USDA lifted its ban on Canadian cattle under 30 months of age in July 2005, and is now working on a new federal rule that would allow older cattle into the US.