April 27, 2012

 

US assures beef safety after Indonesian ban

 

 

Following an Indonesian ban which fuelled fears that exports would be hit by the first American case of mad cow disease in six years, the US stepped up assurances of its beef safety Thursday (Apr 26).

 

The FDA said the US livestock feed system was safe and pledged that the case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) announced on Tuesday was "atypical" and could not spread via feed to other cattle.

 

The US has an estimated 90.8 million head of cattle, forming a large part of the economy in states such as Texas, Nebraska, Kansas and California.

 

"The FDA is confident in the effectiveness of the existing animal feed safeguards designed to prevent the spread of BSE through feed," the regulator said in a statement.

 

"Although current science suggests that atypical cases of BSE, such as this one, are unlikely to be transmitted through animal feed, the FDA will work with the USDA to complete a thorough epidemiological investigation."

 

Around 40,000 US cattle are tested for the disease each year but the case that was discovered in California, the fourth ever in the US, sparked worries among importers who buy US$4 billion worth of US beef each year.

 

Two huge retailers in South Korea, which imported 107,000 tonnes of US beef last year, suspended its sales Wednesday morning, though one of them, Homeplus, had lifted its restrictions by the evening.

 

"We resumed displaying and selling US beef at our stores... as the government said there was little possibility that the beef contaminated with mad cow disease had been imported here," Homeplus said in a statement.

 

A Lotte Mart spokesman said the company would keep US beef off their shelves while they monitor the situation. In Indonesia, a relatively small buyer of US beef, imports of some beef products were suspended early Thursday out of concern over the new BSE case.

 

"We have decided to stop importing bone meal, innards and boned meat from the US, but imports of boneless meat will continue," deputy agriculture minister Rusman Heriawan told AFP.

 

"The suspension starts today, but we don't know how long it will remain in effect," he said, adding that shipments en route will not be affected.

 

Importers and US consumers have worried that the latest case could be, like some previous cases, related to the use of cattle remains in livestock feed.

 

But Canada said in a statement on Wednesday that the case would "not affect trade between the US and Canada," and Japan, another key importer, also kept its doors open.

 

The EU has said it has no plans to impose restrictions on US beef imports. In Singapore on Thursday the US trade representative called for Indonesia to lift its ban, saying there was "no evidence" that the California case had tainted food markets.

 

Speaking at a news conference, Ron Kirk said there was "no reason to fear" an international spread of the disease.

 

"There's been no evidence (in) this one reported instance that any contaminated product has entered our food chain or any international food chain," Kirk said.

 

The FDA meanwhile also sought to calm consumer worries over beef and milk sold in markets.

 

"The USDA also confirmed the cow did not enter the animal feed or human food supply," the statement said.

 

"Importantly, scientific research indicates that BSE cannot be transmitted in cow's milk."