June 3, 2005

OIE study reveals that boned muscle beef "safe" from mad cow disease

A study by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) reported that muscle tissue does not harbour the mad cow disease (BSE), even in animals intentionally infected with BSE for tests.

The OIE announced on May 26 that it would include boned muscle beef from animals younger than 30 months of age on its list of products considered safe for trade, regardless of the BSE status of the country of origin. It will also consider including beef from older animals next year.

Only beef from animals inspected both ante-mortem and postmortem are eligible in the current legislation. The new OIE guidelines only affect trade in boned beef, not live animals, and goes into immediate effect.

These guidelines will likely boost beef trade of European countries affected by the BSE epidemic during the last decade, especially in light of declining BSE cases over recent years.

Under the agreement to reopen beef trade between the US and Japan, the US must agree to import beef from Japan.

Before the first case of BSE was discovered in Japan in 2001, the US imported relatively small quantities of high-quality Kobe beef from Japan. This was partly due to separate concerns about foot-and-mouth disease.

After the BSE cases were discovered in Japan, the US banned all Japanese beef and cattle imports, including processed beef products. With the new changes by the OIE, the US may now more easily justify importing muscle cuts from Japan.