Go Back

December 30, 2004 (Guelph) – Canadian beef farmers continue to await conclusive results after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s announcement today of a suspect case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). Final test results will be available in a few days.

Ian McKillop, Vice President of the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) which represents all Ontario beef farmers, said that the test results show that Canada ’s inspection system continues to work as it is designed to do and that Canadian beef is safe to eat. The test was conducted on an Alberta farm as part of Canada ’s rigorous surveillance strategy and no part of the animal entered the human food or animal feed systems.

McKillop said, “The regulatory measures that Canada has in place are also designed to safeguard against BSE spreading within the animal population.” Canada ’s surveillance system, one of the country’s BSE safeguards, resulted in more than 21,000 cattle being tested this year – with plans to test 30,000 in 2005. More than a decade ago, Canada banned all imports of cattle and beef products from countries with BSE and, in 1997, introduced a feed ban to further reduce the risk. This ban prevents farmers from feeding products to their cattle that contain ruminant proteins. Similar to the two positive BSE cases found in North America in 2003, this suspect animal was born before the feed ban was introduced.

Additional enhancements to the system since 2003 include the removal of all Specified Risk Materials (SRMs) from cattle entering the human food supply. SRMs are the tissues that, in infected cattle, are believed to contain the BSE agent.

There is no reason to believe that the recent announcement should have an effect on efforts to normalize trade. The Ontario Cattlemen’s Association welcomed yesterday’s news by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that it would be publishing the rule which would allow live Canadian cattle back into the U.S. This rule is to become effective March 7, 2005.  Yesterday’s announcement by the USDA is based on Canada being a minimal risk country. Another case of BSE in Canada will not change Canada ’s minimal risk status. According to international animal health guidelines, a country can have up to two cases of BSE per million head of cattle in a 12 month period and retain its minimal risk status.

Since the BSE crisis began on May 20, 2003, Ontario ’s 21,000 beef farmers have lost more than $450 million as a result of the world closing borders to exports of Canadian beef and cattle. Until the crisis hit, beef was Ontario ’s second largest commodity in terms of annual farm gate receipts with a value of approximately $1.2 billion in 2002.