Canada Called Minimal-Risk

The rule that would allow live Canadian cattle imports establishes Canada as a minimal-risk BSE country.  USDA says Canada met these minimal-risk standards.

•     Prohibition of specified risk materials in human food

•     Import restrictions sufficient to minimize exposure to BSE:  Since 1990, Canada has maintained stringent import restrictions, preventing the entry of live ruminants and ruminant products, including rendered protein products, from countries that have found BSE in native cattle or that are considered to be at significant risk for BSE.

•     Surveillance for BSE at levels that meet or exceed international guidelines:  Canada has conducted active surveillance for BSE since 1992 and exceeded the level recommended in international guidelines for at least the past seven years.

•     Ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban in place and effectively enforced:  Canada has had a ban on the feeding of ruminant proteins to ruminants since August 1997, with compliance monitored through routine inspections.

•     Appropriate epidemiological investigations, risk assessment, and risk mitigation measures imposed as necessary:  Canada has conducted extensive investigations in response to any BSE finding and has taken additional risk mitigation measures in response.

Other countries or regions that meet the minimal-risk conditions will be considered in the future.  Any country given that status must go through the rulemaking process and satisfactorily complete a risk assessment.