December 12, 2006

Philippines lifts ban on meat imports from France

The Philippines has lifted its six-year ban on the importation of cattle meat and meat products from France.

The Department of Agriculture has allowed the re-entry of French meat products after determining the risk of mad cow disease is negligible.

Agriculture Undersecretary Jesus Emmanuel Paras, in a memorandum order, said the government of France was able to institute measures to contain the outbreak of mad cow disease and ensure food safety in France.

However, Paras said the importation of cattle meat and meat products from France would still be subjected to a number of conditions.

He said the country would only accept deboned and deglanded beef from cattle not older than 30 months and that the meat should be devoid of any nerves and other BSE-specified risk materials as certified by the French government.

He added the beef should also come only from healthy, ambulatory and not downer cattle born and grown in France and that slaughter of the cattle and the cutting/packaging of the beef is done in a meat facility used only for 30 months old and younger cattle.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) also specified that the beef should not at anytime and in any manner get in contact or mixed with beef coming from cattle older than 30 months and that the slaughter date of the cattle or the production date of the beef shall be included in the packaging label.

In 2000, the DA imposed a ban on the importation of meat and meat products derived from live cattle, goat and sheep following the outbreak of BSE cases in European countries.

According to a report, a variant of the Creutzfeld-Jacob disease in humans could have probably been transmitted by eating animals, specifically hogs, affected with mad cow.

Over 30 countries are under the "watchlist" of the Philippine government as possible sources of contaminated meat.