BSE

BACKGROUND

Since the Canadian discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in May 2003, increased attention has been focused on cattle testing and trade issues related to the disease. The United States and most other countries immediately banned Canadian imports of live cattle and beef. In August 2003, a thorough investigation of the BSE case by USDA was completed. As a result of its findings, the U.S. allowed boneless beef products to be imported again from Canada.

In addition, proposed rules for the resumption of most cattle and beef trade with Canada were published. USDA’s draft outlined general BSE risk categories and corresponding trade measures, specifically classifying Canada as a minimal-risk country due to the Canadian government’s implementation of increased surveillance, feed and food safety regulations consistent with World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) standards.

Public comments on USDA’s draft rules to resume trade with Canada were being reviewed when a case of BSE was confirmed in the United States in December 2003. This case of BSE caused several countries to impose trade restrictions on U.S. cattle and beef exports, but the incident did not have a significant long-term impact on U.S. consumer confidence or market prices.

Since 1997, the United States has had procedures in place to ensure food safety and animal health. This is done primarily via a restriction on the import of ruminant animals and their products from countries with BSE, a ban on the feeding of ruminant protein to ruminant animals and a targeted domestic surveillance program. Following the U.S. discovery of BSE, USDA announced additional rules to strengthen existing BSE safeguards, including a prohibition on the slaughter of non-ambulatory cattle (a high-risk population for BSE); the removal of all specified risk materials (SRMs) from human food; increased BSE surveillance testing; and development of an animal identification and tracking program. The FDA also proposed regulations to tighten the feed ban.

In light of the first case of BSE in the U.S., USDA reopened the proposed minimal-risk rule. AFBF commented in support of the proposed rule that would base trade restrictions on sound science from the body of BSE knowledge compiled by U.S. scientists and the OIE. USDA in January 2005 implemented a final rule, which classifies Canada as minimal-risk. The rule allowed resumption of trade with Canada in live cattle less than 30 months of age on March 7, 2005.

Early this year, USDA published the second part of the Canadian minimal-risk rule, addressing the older live cattle trade and beef imports from all ages of cattle, for public comment. If finalized, the proposal would allow imports of all Canadian cattle born after March 1, 1999 – the date the Canadian ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban was deemed effective. The age restriction on beef imports also would be lifted.

Japan, the U.S.’s largest beef export market prior to 2004, announced rules to resume limited U.S. beef imports on Dec. 11, 2005. The first shipments of U.S. beef arrived in Japan prior to the end of that year, nearly two years to the date since the ban was instituted. However, exports were suspended on Jan. 20, 2006, after a prohibited bone was found in the first shipment of veal sent to Japan. USDA immediately announced a 12-step plan to resume trade with Japan, and the market reopened on July 27, 2006.

Seventy-five of the 119 countries that imported U.S. beef as of Dec. 23, 2003, have now re-established trade in at least selected U.S. beef and beef products.

LEGISLATIVE STATUS

Farm Bureau opposes legislation which would disrupt science-based beef and cattle trade with Canada.

AFBF POLICY

We support the use of sound science and OIE guidance in classifying countries as minimal-risk regions for BSE.

Farm Bureau reaffirms its support for using sound science as a basis for reopening our markets to ensure continued consumer confidence. However, we are concerned about the process of reopening markets on our domestic beef industry. We urge USDA to use measures and protocols to open the markets in order to ensure consumer confidence and enhance our beef industry.

September 2007