July 30, 2007

Philippine government tightens regulations on beef imports

The Philippine Department of Agriculture is tightening its beef imports from the US and Canada to block entry of mad cow disease in the country following the outbreak of hog cholera in some provinces.

According to the Philippine Star daily, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap has issued new guidelines on the continued importation of beef from the US and Canada subject to certain conditions, namely:

• Only boneless beef can be sourced from cattle under 30 months;
   
• Beef, whether boneless or bone-in, should be devoid of Specified Risk Materials;
   
• Whether boneless or bone-in, the beef should come only from healthy ambulatory and not downed cattle;
   
• The US Department of Agriculture or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency should certify the age of the slaughtered cattle; and
   
• The production date or slaughter date of the beef should be included in the packaging label.

Yap instructed that all import transactions of beef products from the US and Canada should comply with the existing rules of the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

Yap added that all orders, rules and regulations which are inconsistent with the provisions of his new order, are repealed or amended.

The Philippines currently allows importation of deboned and deglanded beef sourced from cattle not older than 30 months from the US and Canada.