December 31, 2003

Australia To Maintain Mad Cow Testing Level

Australia has no plans to increase its testing level for mad cow disease. Although the United States is preparing to double the number of animals checked, Australian Agriculture Minister Warren Truss indicated that his country's testing is already complying with international requirements set by the World Organization for Animal Health and European Union Standards.

Around 400 cattle with some signs of neurological problems are tested for mad cow disease annually in Australia. Over seven years of testing, none has recorded any positive tests.

In 2001-02 more than 4000 cattle were tested, but again none was found to have the disease.

Australia has a herd of about 27million, of which between eight million and nine million are slaughtered annually.
 

"We are testing enough to satisfy the requirements of the [world organisation] and EU," he said. "Australia continues to have the highest rating by both the [world organisation] and EU, and we continue to maintain our clean and green image."

But if the World Organisation for Animal Health changed its position in light of the US discovery, then Australia would consider a shift in its testing system.

"If the [world organisation] decided that there needed to be a change in testing then we would do that," he said.

Mad cow disease is thought to have developed from the feeding of ground animal parts to vegetation- eating ruminant animals such as cattle.

A ban introduced by Australian agricultural officials in 1966 might have played a major role in keeping it out of Australia.

Mr Truss's spokesman said the 1966 ban, introduced to prevent the introduction of anthrax, kept cattle feed made from animal products from Australia.

Although farmers were allowed to feed their cattle products made domestically from ground animals, this was only done on a small scale.

A further ban was introduced in 1996, preventing the feeding of any ruminants with products derived from ground-up animals.