July 7, 2008

Bangladesh has restricted meat imports as a precautionary measure amid global concerns of mad cow disease outbreak, according to officials from the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock on Sunday (July 6, 2008).

Importers do not require permission for meat imports for five-star hotels and a few fast-food restaurant chains, but they had been told not to import meats from mad cow disease-affected countries.

Customs authorities have been alerted about possible risks of meat imports from countries suffering from mad cow disease. About 2,000 samples of cattle have so far been examined at the Bangladesh Agriculture University but no signs of mad cow disease were detected.

Bangladeshi traders will risk losing export opportunities of animal bones, horn, hoof and so on if any meat consignment are mad-cow positive, an official said.

At present, animal bone exporters must take mad-cow-free clearance certificates from the World Organisation For Animal Health.