December 12, 2007

Indonesia to lift two-year ban on US beef

Indonesia will finally allow beef and beef products from four livestock facilities in the United States, following a two-year ban, an agriculture ministry official said on Tuesday (December 11).

Turni Rusli Syamsudin, director of veterinary public health at the ministry, said that beef products from these exporting plants have met health, security and Islamic halal standards.

Indonesia re-imposed a temporary import ban on US beef and beef products in June 2005, following the discovery of a new case of mad cow disease in the US.

In May 2007, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) put US under "controlled risk" status for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.

As the world most populous Muslim nation, imports bound to Indonesia must pass the Islamic halal standard for food consumption.

Currently Indonesia imports beef, beef products, and live cattle from Australia and New Zealand. In 2006, it imported 84,253 tonnes of beef products and live cattle from those two markets.

In May, Indonesia issued an import permit for Canadian beef, which had been banned in May 2003.