Canada Revises U.S. Beef Import Regs

June 30, 2006 -- Announced on Thursday by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Canada is opening its border to a broader range of animals and animal products from the United States, which were suspended following the confirmation of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Washington state in 2003. The new regulations went into effect at the time of the announcement.

Effective immediately, all classes of U.S. cattle, including those for breeding purposes born after 1999, are eligible for entry based on prescribed certification requirements. As well, beef from cattle over 30 months of age will also be eligible for importation under certain conditions.

Prohibitions on certain U.S. commodities are being maintained to prevent the importation of high-risk products, such as specified risk materials (SRM) or products containing these materials. SRM are those tissues known to have the potential to harbour BSE infectivity. These import controls provide continued protection of human and animal health from BSE and are reflective of the most recent international standards for BSE of the World Organization for Animal Health.

Sheep and goats under 12 months of age may be imported for immediate slaughter or feeding for slaughter.

Further are available on the CFIA website at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/disemala/bseesb/situatione.shtml.

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