June 9, 2004

Canadian, U.S. Food Industries Call On USDA To Finalize Beef-safety Rule

The Food and Consumer Products Manufacturers of Canada (FCPMC) and the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) today jointly called on the U.S. government to finalize and implement its beef safety rule promptly. This is to ensure consumer protection and prevent any unnecessary and unwarranted further disruption in U.S.-Canada trade.

The Canadian government has adopted measures that would allow the sale of low-risk beef and beef-containing products to resume between the two countries where documentation can be provided. The move demonstrates that products have been sourced from animals in which specified risk materials have been removed. The U.S. Government, in a proposal by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has proposed adopting identical measures.

These measures are in addition to long-standing risk reduction measures that have been adopted by both Governments, and have led international BSE experts to conclude that both U.S. and Canadian beef are safe and that the risk of a BSE epidemic in North America is near zero. FCPMC and GMA members have taken further steps to ensure the safety of the meat and meat-containing products they sell, such as restrictions on the use of advanced meat recovery systems.