June 15, 2005

Calls to reinstate US beef ban in Taiwan

Barely two months after the US beef import ban was lifted in Taiwan, there were calls within the Taiwanese government to reinstate the suspension due to the recent suspected mad cow case in the US.

One legislator was concerned that although a suspected mad cow case was detected in the US on June 10, the government would only decide on the matter pending further test results from Britain on the affected sample. The government decision to lift the ban was also considered "rash".

In response, the government quoted World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) guidelines which stated that boneless beef from animals under 30 months of age with no other specific dangerous substances can be exported even from BSE-infected areas.

The decision to lift the ban in April was also arrived at only after careful consideration and review of the government's decision-making process by mad cow disease experts.