March 1, 2010

Australian retailers to reject new beef imports

Supermarkets in Australia intend to shun foreign beef once the government lifts its nine-year ban on beef imports from BSE affected countries on Monday.

Supermarket chain Coles announced they will not sell anything other than Australian beef. Major retailer Woolworths also declared 100% of its fresh meat was Australian and that fact will not be changed. 

However, the retailers conceded that they could not control what beef went into processed foods, such as meat pies and canned beef.

Australia banned British beef in 1996, and extended the ban in 2001 to beef from other countries that recorded cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease.

North American beef was banned in 2003 after three cases were reported in the US and 17 in Canada.

From Monday, all countries will be able to apply to Australia's Food Safety authority to sell fresh beef in Australia.