November 23, 2004

Jamaica Has No Plan to Reinstate Partial Ban on US Beef

The Jamaican government is not considering reinstating the partial ban on beef imports from the United States, despite federal scientists carrying out investigations into a possible new case of mad cow disease there.

"No plans are in place to change anything now," the agriculture minister Roger Clarke said yesterday. "Nothing has been confirmed yet and we await the results of the reported case."

News of the possible new case of the brain-wasting disease sent fears throughout the US last week, although the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said meat from the suspect animal had not entered the food chain.

The possible case comes less than a year after the disease was found in a single animal in the state of Washington forcing several countries, including Jamaica to ban beef imports from the US.

The ban, which came into effect last December, was partially lifted earlier this month with government allowing importers to bring in the meat on condition that the animal from which it is taken is less than 30 months old, slaughtering facilities are certified and that the meat can be traced back to the farm from which it was produced.