March 13, 2012

US modifies BSE rules on beef imports

USDA has proposed a rule which will align US beef import rules with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines, concerning the risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

The proposed rule, open for 60-day comment, could open the door to more beef imports from the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, as these countries enjoy the same "controlled risk" BSE status as the US and have no other disease risk restrictions, USDA Chief Veterinary Officer, John Clifford, said Friday (Mar 9).

The new rule is also aimed at giving the US a better negotiating platform as it continues to press for increased US beef access to other countries that continue to restrict access on BSE concerns, such as Japan, South Korea and China.

"By having a comprehensive BSE rule in place, the US will show leadership on the global scale and will give USTR and USDA a stronger position to press other nations to follow the OIE's guidelines and adopt science-based BSE policies," a group of 31 US Senators wrote in a letter to USDA officials last month, urging them to publish the proposed rule, which has been a long time in the making.

Clifford made the same point, saying the new rule "will prove invaluable at the negotiating table" as the US works to reopen existing markets and open new ones to US beef exports.

There are three OIE levels of BSE risk: negligible, controlled risk and undetermined. The OIE guidelines allow unrestricted access for beef products from countries with negligible or controlled risk BSE status.

Nevertheless, countries, including Japan and South Korea, still place age restrictions on the cattle from which they will import US beef products and China still disallows most US beef product imports.