August 22, 2008
Mexico bans live cattle imports from Alberta
Mexico has banned imports of live cattle from Alberta, Canada, following the discovery of mad cow disease in the province last week.
The ban applies only to imports of beef and dairy breeding cattle, therefore beef is still allowed to enter Mexico.
Canadian authorities discovered the disease in a six-year-old slaughtered cow but assured that no part of the animal has entered the food chain. It was the 14th case of mad cow disease discovered in Canada since 2003 when the government banned meat-and-bone meal in cow feed due to research linking it to mad cow disease.
The World Organisation for Animal Health, or OIE, recognises Canada and Mexico as controlled-risk status for mad cow disease.
