February 20, 2006

Thailand to lift ban on food products from BSE-risk countries

The Thai Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has officially lifted a ban on certain food products from countries at risk of mad cow disease, according to USDA's Feb 16 report on Thailand's trade policy monitoring.

The range of products lifted in the ban includes milk and milk products, gelatin and collagen, deboned skeletal muscle meat and its products from cattle 30 months of age or less, and blood and blood by-products from cattle.

The MOPH lifting of the ban was announced shortly after the Department of Livestock Development and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives notified USDA that they have agreed to lift the ban on US boneless beef under specific health requirements.

USDA said the move by these two Thai government agencies should end the request by the US to reopen the Thai market to US beef since the ban was imposed in December 2003.

For the full USDA report, click here.