July 1, 2009

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of Hong Kong announced Tuesday (Jun 30) that the relaxation of the import control on beef from Canada would be brought forward to the second phase under an agreement with the Canadian authorities with immediate effect.

A spokesman for CFS said according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), Canada has obtained a Controlled Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) risk status. Thus, the CFS has begun to loosen the import control on Canadian beef using a phased approach.

In the first phase, beef rib cuts and other bone-in products (except vertebral column cuts) from cattle less than 30 months old are allowed to be imported from Canada. Since the implementation of the first phase on March 9, 2009, more than 200 tonnes of bone-in beef products have been inspected and deemed to have reached the city's import requirements.

Under the second phase, Hong Kong will accept imports of boneless beef, beef rib cuts and other bone-in products (except vertebral column cuts) from cattle of age 30 months or more, as well as tails and offal. Each batch of beef products must have the CFS's prior written permission and be accompanied by a health certificate.

The spokesman added that the centre will continue to monitor the situation and review its import requirements as and when necessary.