August 1, 2005

Philippines lifts BSE safety measures on US beef imports
 

The Filipino government has lifted safety measures on US beef amid the recent American case of BSE, or mad cow disease.

The government considered that the infected cow did not enter the food and feed chain, and it was the only one that tested BSE positive out of the nearly 400,000 tested since June the previous year.

However, the government also stated some conditions. Only deboned and deglanded beef from cattle not older than 30 months would be imported, and the beef should originate only from healthy ambulatory and not downer cattle.

Also, cattle age should be certified by the USDA or an approved third party accreditation company, while production or slaughter dates should be included in packaging labels.

The government would confiscate any US beef that did not comply with these conditions.