Mad-cow countries can sell us their beef
by: EXCLUSIVE - NATASHA BITA From: News Limited Network February 14, 2013
12:00AM
AUSTRALIA has reopened the door to beef imports from Europe, a decade after
banning meat from countries with a history of mad cow disease.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand has ruled that consumers face a
"negligible" risk of catching brain-wasting disease bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE) from eating Croatian or Dutch beef.
"FSANZ completed BSE food safety risk assessments for these countries and
concluded that the BSE risk posed to consumers from the export of beef products
from these countries is negligible," Food Standards said in a statement.
"While meat from these countries can be imported, there are import
certification requirements in place and in the case of Croatia, more stringent
requirements."
The official green light ends a decade-long import ban on fresh or frozen
beef from Europe.
New Zealand and Vanuatu - both BSE-free - have been the only countries
allowed to sell beef in Australia.
Butchers and supermarkets will have to label all meat with the country of
origin, under new Federal Government labelling laws to take force in July.
But restaurants and takeaway food outlets are exempt, so diners will not
know if they are eating Australian or imported meat.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Department yesterday said it had
not yet issued any beef import permits from Croatia or The Netherlands.
"The new arrangements ... are yet to take effect with respect to issuing
new import permits," it said in a statement.
Liberal senator Bill Heffernan - a farmer who chairs the Senate Rural and
Regional Affairs References Committee - yesterday called on the Federal
Government to "err on the side of caution".
"I don't think Australia should accept beef from anywhere that's had a BSE
outbreak, simple as that," he said.
"There's no such thing as a BSE-free herd or zone because there is no live
test for the disease, and the human variant (Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease) can
incubate for 30 years."
But Cattle Council of Australia chief executive Jed Matz yesterday said the
import approval did not bother Australia's cattle farmers.
"We're supporters of free trade," he said.
"If they're safe then we welcome their imports. I don't think there would
be a very large amount of meat being imported from those two countries so I
wouldn't be concerned."
Eight other countries, including Mexico, Turkey, Brazil and Lithuania,
have lined up to seek Food Standards approval to sell their beef in Australia.
The United States has put its application on hold.
Australia has never had a case of BSE, a brain-wasting disease in cattle
that can infect people who eat contaminated beef.
The Food Standards assessment of the Dutch application found 88 cases of
BSE had been detected in The Netherlands since 1997.
It rated The Netherlands as having a "negligible BSE risk".
Food Standards found that no cases of BSE have been confirmed in Croatia to
date, and rated the country as a "controlled BSE risk".
Report on the assessment of the Geographical BSE-risk of Croatia June 2002
4. CONCLUSION ON THE RESULTING RISKS
4.1 Interaction of stability and challenges
In conclusion, the stability of the Croatian BSE/cattle system in the past
and the external challenges the system has coped with are summarised in the
table below. From the interaction of the two parameters "stability" and
"external challenge" a conclusion is drawn on the level of "internal challenge"
that emerged and had to be met by the system, in addition to external challenges
that occurred.
Before 1991, the former Yugoslavia faced a high external challenge. The
stability of the system cannot be assessed, as no data are available. However,
it is reasonable that the system was similar to the one found in Croatia in
1992, i.e. extremely unstable. This implies a significant risk that the
BSE-agent, should it have been introduced into the country at that time, would
have entered the BSE/cattle system of the country.
It is clear, from the available data, that since 1992, Croatia faced a high
external challenge mainly due to imports of MBM. Cattle were continuously
imported since 1992, probably to re-stock the national herd and for human
consumption. If some of these imported cattle were infected with BSE prior to
export, they could have entered the Croatian BSE/cattle system around 1995,
while the system was still extremely unstable. Between 1995 and 2000, the
external challenge faced by Croatia was very high, mainly due to MBMimports. At
this time the system was still extremely unstable. Since 2001, the system is
very stable.
The combination of significant external challenges with an extremely
unstable system makes the occurrence of an internal challenge likely since 1992
but probably already earlier. Today, it is more unlikely that BSE infectivity is
recycled and, if the efficiency of the measures in place could be demonstrated,
any existing internal challenge should decrease at the rate by which cattle born
before these measures were effective leave the system. If the measures in place
since January 2001 are well implemented the internal challenge will decrease
rather fast.
4.2 Risk that BSE infectivity entered processing
There is a certain risk that BSE infectivity entered processing in the
territory of Croatia when it was still a part of former Yugoslavia. After the
independence of the country, it is likely that BSE infectivity entered the
country via cattle or MBM imports. Around 1995 potentially infected cattle could
have been slaughtered that were imported in 1992. This processing risk increased
around 1997, i.e. about 3 years after the first significant imports of
potentially contaminated MBM occurred, that could have lead to infection of
domestic cattle in the year of import (1994). It continued to grow thereafter
because MBM imports from BSE-risk countries continued. In addition it is likely
that since 1995 at the latest also domestic MBM was contaminated with the agent.
As feeding was “not OK”, the agent probably reached domestic cattle, leading to
new infections until end 2000. Hence the processing risk will continue to exist
as long as cattle that could potentially have been exposed to the agent, are
processed. The risk continues to increase, at a reduced pace, until the birth
cohorts 2001 and later reach processing.
4.3 Risk that BSE infectivity was recycled and propagated
Given that the system was extremely unstable and a processing risk may have
existed in Croatia since some time but since the mid-90s at the latest, it is
very likely that the BSEagent was recycled, propagated and amplified in the
country. Since 1997 the recycling was somewhat reduced, thanks to the improved
rendering but a propagation risk continued to exist. In 1/1/2001 measures were
taken that should have interrupted recycling of the BSE-agent. The efficiency of
these measures is not well documented but subject to confirmation it is regarded
unlikely that further propagation of the disease occurs after beginning of 2001.
5. CONCLUSION ON THE GEOGRAPHICAL BSE-RISK
5.1 The current GBR as function of the past stability and challenge
The current geographical BSE-risk (GBR) level is III, i.e. it is likely but
not confirmed that domestic cattle are (clinically or pre-clinically) infected
with the BSE-agent.
5.2 The expected development of the GBR as a function of the past and
present stability and challenge
§ From the very stable system (subject to confirmation of the efficiency of
the measures taken in 2000/2001), it follows that the GBR decreases fast.
5.3 Recommendations for influencing the future GBR
§ It is essential that the recently taken stability enhancing measures are
correctly applied and their implementation is controlled and documented.
§ Improved passive and active surveillance, i.e. sampling of animals not
recognised as BSE-suspects from “at-risk” cattle populations, such as adult
cattle in fallen stock and emergency slaughter, would allow monitoring the
efficiency of the stability enhancing measures.
SNIP...
Scientific Steering Committee – Opinion on the GBR of CROATIA June 2002
- 2 -
Opinion of the Scientific Steering Committee on the GEOGRAPHICAL RISK OF
BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY (GBR) in Croatia –2002
THE QUESTION
The Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) was asked by the Commission to
provide an up-to-date scientific opinion on the Geographical BSE-Risk (GBR),
i.e. the likelihood of the presence of one or more cattle being infected with
BSE, pre-clinically as well as clinically, in countries that have formally
requested the determination of their BSE status in accordance with Article 5 of
the Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
This opinion addresses the up-to-date GBR of Croatia as assessed in June
2002.
THE ANSWER
The BSE agent was probably already introduced to the Croatian territory
before its independence and Croatia was exposed to significant external
challenges since 1992. As the Croatian BSE/cattle system was extremely unstable
it is likely that the BSE-agent was recycled, propagated and amplified in the
country. Even if since 1997 the recycling was somewhat reduced, thanks to the
improved rendering, it is concluded that it is likely but not confirmed that one
or more domestic cattle in Croatia are (clinically or pre-clinically) infected
with the BSE-agent (GBR-III).
The SSC is aware that the available information was not confirmed by
inspection missions as they are performed by the FVO in the Member States. It
recommends that BSE-related aspects are included in the program of future
inspection missions, as far as feasible.
SNIP...
of live cattle and MBM from BSE risk countries. The proportion of these
imports that remained in Croatia is not known and therefore as a realistic worst
case assumption, it is assumed that the external challenge experienced by the
territory of Croatia before 1992 was high enough to make it possible that the
BSE-agent could have been introduced.
The level of the external challenge that has to be met by the Croatian
BSE/cattle system since 1992 is estimated according to the guidance given by the
SSC in its final opinion on the GBR of July 2000, as updated in January 2002.
Live cattle imports: From 1992 to 2000 the country imported 577,310 live
cattle from BSE risk countries, of which none came from the UK. These imports
represent a high external challenge but not an extremely high external challenge
because a significant fraction was slaughtered at very young age. Broken down to
shorter periods the resulting external challenge moderate from 1992 to 1995 and
high thereafter. This assessment takes into account aspects that allow assuming
that certain imported cattle did not enter the domestic BSE/cattle system, i.e.
were not rendered into feed or were very young when slaughtered.
MBM imports: From 1992 to 2000 the country imported 12,654 tons MBM from
BSE risk countries, of which nothing came from the UK. Together these imports
represent a very high external challenge. Broken down to shorter periods the
resulting external challenge was high for the period 1992-1995 and very high
thereafter. This assessment takes into different aspects that allow assuming
that a certain fraction of the imported MBM could not have entered the domestic
BSE/cattle system.
STABILITY
On the basis of the available information it was concluded that the
country’s BSE/cattle system was extremely unstable between 1992 and 2000 and is,
subject to confirmation of the efficiency of the then introduced measures, very
stable since 2001. For the period before the independence of Croatia, a
reasonable worst case assumption is that the stability was similar to the
situation in Croatia after 1992.
Feeding
Until March 1997 feeding of any kind of MBM to cattle was legally possible.
Since then a ruminant to ruminant ban was installed but non-ruminant mammalian
MBM could still be fed to cattle until 2001. As no data were provided on the
controls of the RMBM-feed ban and crosscontamination is regarded likely, it is
concluded that feeding was “not OK” before and after the feed ban of 1997. In
2001, a recall action was carried out and the available MBM (imported and
domestic) was bought by the government in order to be incinerated. However, as
it is not fully clear how effective this measure was and cross-contamination in
feed mills, during transport and
Scientific Steering Committee – Opinion on the GBR of CROATIA June 2002
- 4 -
on farm remained possible, feeding is regarded as “reasonably OK” since
1/1/2001 until it is shown that no MBM is anymore present in the system.
Rendering
Since 1996, the only plant that was processing fallen bovine stock has
complied with the operating standards required. But the “closed” plant, which is
linked to a slaughterhouse and produces MBM from cattle material from its own
abattoirs and cutting plants, continued to operate under unknown conditions.
Most likely it also processed SRM that were included in the normal slaughter
waste. Rendering has therefore been “not OK” up to end 2000. Since January 2001,
bovine animal waste, including SRM and all fallen stock, is to be incinerated or
otherwise disposed. Subject to confirmation of the efficiency of this measure,
rendering is assessed as “OK” since January 2001.
SRM-removal
Between 1980 and 2001 brain and spinal cord of cattle and bovine fallen
stock were rendered. There was no SRM ban before 1997 and the SRM ban between
1997 and 2001 prohibited the use of SRM for human consumption only, probably
increasing the amount of SRM that was rendered for feed. Therefore, SRM removal
is regarded as “not OK” until end 2000, when an SRM ban for cattle feed was
implemented. Subject to confirmation of the efficiency of this measure,
SRMremoval is therefore assessed as “OK” since January 2001.
BSE surveillance
Before 1996 BSE surveillance did not exist. It was only passive thereafter
and the number of BSE suspects remained low. Active BSE surveillance is in place
since 2001. However, the number of animals tested is still too low to exclude a
certain BSE-incidence, and data on age and risk category of tested animals,
which would allow to better judge the validity of available test results, were
lacking.
CONCLUSION ON THE CURRENT GBR
The Croatian BSE/cattle system was extremely unstable and exposed to
sizeable external challenges. A processing risk therefore may have existed in
Croatia since the mid-90s at the latest and the BSE-agent was very likely
recycled, propagated and amplified in the country. Since 1997 the recycling was
somewhat reduced, thanks to the improved rendering but a propagation risk
continued to exist. Therefore, it is concluded that it is likely but not
confirmed that domestic cattle in Croatia are (clinically or pre-clinically)
infected with the BSE-agent (GBR-III).
SNIP...
They concluded that it is likely that BSE is present in the cattle herds of
Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, San Marino and Turkey, although this is not yet
confirmed (GBR level III).
Report on the assessment of the Geographical BSE-risk of THE NETHERLANDS
July 2000
Report on the assessment of the Geographical BSE-risk of THE NETHERLANDS
July 2000 - 47 -
5. THE GEOGRAPHICAL BSE-RISK
5.1 The current GBR The current geographical BSE-risk (GBR) level is III,
i.e. BSE is confirmed in domestic cattle at a lower level.
However, the observed incidence of clinical cases over the period 1/3/99 to
29/2/2000 was 0.5 per 1 Million adult cattle. This figure is generated by a
passive surveillance system that is not able to identify all clinical
cases.
Netherlands BSE CASES
2001 20
2002 24
2003 19
2004 6
SEE GAIN FILE ;
BSE Situation in the world and annual incidence rate Number of cases
reported: In the UK Worldwide (excluding UK) Cases in imported animals only
Annual incidence rate
Number of reported cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in
farmed cattle worldwide* (excluding the United Kingdom)
|
Country/Year
|
89
|
90
|
91
|
92
|
93
|
94
|
95
|
96
|
97
|
98
|
99
|
00
|
01
|
02
|
03
|
04
|
05
|
06
|
07
|
08
|
09
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
|
Netherlands
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
20
|
24
|
19
|
6
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
1m
|
0
|
Short communication
Analyzing BSE surveillance in low prevalence countries
§ Mark Powell a,*, Aaron Scott b, Eric Ebel b aU.S. Department of
Agriculture, Office of Risk Assessment and Cost Benefit Analysis, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW, Rm. 4032 (MS 3811), Washington, DC 20250, United States
bU.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service,
2150 Centre Avenue, Building B, Mail Stop 2E7, Fort Collins, CO 80526, United
States Received 10 May 2007; received in revised form 24 August 2007; accepted
21 September 2007
SNIP...
An important implication of the diminished statistical power of sampling in
low prevalence populations is that BSE surveillance data alone are unlikely to
provide a purely statistical basis for making a determination about the date
when a ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban becomes effective in a low BSE prevalence
country. For example, despite the presence of a large-scale active BSE
surveillance program, application of the BSurvE model to Netherlands BSE
surveillance data suggests the difficulty of drawing clear distinctions in
prevalence among birth year cohorts (Heres et al., 2005, Appendix Table 4.1). As
a point of reference, according to the OIE, the Netherlands had an annual
incidence of reported BSE cases ranging from 0.8 to 13.2 per million adult
cattle during 1997–2005 (http://www.oie.int/eng/info/en_esbincidence.htm).
Among the original 15 EU member states, only Finland, Greece, and Sweden had a
lower incidence of BSE cases (0 per million) reported to OIE in 2005 than the
Netherlands (0.8 per million).
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Potential mad cows that entered food supply without being tested for BSE
2011: UK END OF YEAR REVIEW
Thursday, September 6, 2012
UK Breaches of BSE controls in consignments of beef 2011 communications
missing four reports
Friday, December 21, 2012
Four BSE cases with an L-BSE molecular profile in cattle from Great Britain
Veterinary Record doi:10.1136/vr.101158 Paper
Friday, November 30, 2012
PROPOSED DECISION TO STOP BSE TESTING OF HEALTHY CATTLE SLAUGHTERED FOR
HUMAN CONSUMPTION FSA 12/12/04 Open Board – 11 December 2012
EURO QUALITY RECALLS ITS LAMBS' BRAINS
Euro Quality Lambs Ltd is recalling its lambs’ brains, which have entered
the food chain without being inspected properly. The Food Standards Agency is
asking all local authority enforcement officers to ensure that the product is
withdrawn from sale and destroyed. The Agency has issued a Food Alert for
Action.
North Cumbrian farmer broke mad cow disease regulations
By Phil Coleman
Last updated at 12:27, Saturday, 19 January 2013
A judge wants to see evidence of a farmer’s finances before deciding how
much he should be fined for flouting regulations designed to prevent beef
infected with mad cow disease getting into the human food chain. At Carlisle
Crown Court, David Holmes, 52, who kept cattle at four locations – including
Crook Farm at Roadhead, north of Carlisle – pleaded guilty to 30 offences. The
court heard how he repeatedly failed to notify the British Cattle Movement
Service (BCMS) that he was moving cattle between different locations. Some of
the cattle – including some older animals banned from sale because of the risk
from BSE – disappeared without trace. The offences included failing to keep a
proper register of his herds, using an ear tag on a cow that previously
identified another animal, and furnishing misleading information about cattle to
the authorities. Judge Peter Davies said he wanted to see evidence of Holmes’
financial affairs before deciding on the level of fine and court costs. He said:
“This is a continuous pattern between 2009 and 2011 of deliberately deceiving
the authorities to ensure that cattle of either no or little monetary value
could not be traced.” He added that he would not, however, impose a custodial
sentence for the offences, noting that there was no evidence of actual harm to
humans. Holmes has previous convictions dating back to the 1980s, which include
a number of animal cruelty offences. Prosecutor Howard Shaw told the court that
Holmes, now living at Nutholm Farm, Lockerbie, had breached regulations which
were brought in following an outbreak of BSE – so called mad cow disease. The
intention was to ensure that all cattle born before 1996 – which have little
monetary value – at no point enter the human food chain. The first three
offences he admitted related to three animals – one born before 1996 – moved
from Crook Farm. Mr Shaw said: “They have quite simply disappeared.” Andrew
Scott, for Holmes, said the company run by Holmes – D&A Livestock Limited –
no longer existed. He will be sentenced at the crown court in Carlisle on
January 25. First published at 11:08, Saturday, 19 January 2013 Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
Thursday, January 17, 2013
FSA notified of two breaches of BSE testing regulations 14 January 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
APHIS USDA Letter to Stakeholders: Trade Accomplishments and failures (BSE,
SCRAPIE, TSE, PRION, AKA MAD COW TYPE DISEASE)
Friday, January 25, 2013
Japan may relax US Mad Cow BSE beef import rules in Feb 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
Announce Agreement to Further Open Japan’s Market to U.S. Beef
Monday, January 28, 2013
Brazil MAD COW BSE ban to stay
Friday, December 07, 2012
ATYPICAL BSE BRAZIL 2010 FINALLY CONFIRMED OIE 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Scientific Report of the European Food Safety Authority on the Assessment
of the Geographical BSE Risk (GBR) of Brazil
Friday, February 8, 2013
Brazil using USDA BSE mad cow SSS policy FINAL UPDATE O.I.E.
> having been buried on the farm where it died
Monday, January 14, 2013
Gambetti et al USA Prion Unit change another highly suspect USA mad cow
victim to another fake name i.e. sporadic FFI at age 16 CJD Foundation goes
along with this BSe
Monday, December 31, 2012
Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease and Human TSE Prion Disease in Washington State,
2006–2011-2012
Saturday, December 29, 2012
MAD COW USA HUMAN TSE PRION DISEASE DECEMBER 29 2012 CJD CASE LAB REPORT
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Canada, U.S. agree on animal-disease measures to protect trade, while
reducing human and animal health protection
IT is of my opinion, that the OIE and the USDA et al, are the soul reason,
and responsible parties, for Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy TSE prion
diseases, including typical and atypical BSE, typical and atypical Scrapie, and
all strains of CWD, and human TSE there from, spreading around the globe.
I have lost all confidence of this organization as a regulatory authority
on animal disease, and consider it nothing more than a National Trading
Brokerage for all strains of animal TSE, just to satisfy there commodity. AS i
said before, OIE should hang up there jock strap now, since it appears they will
buckle every time a country makes some political hay about trade protocol,
commodities and futures. IF they are not going to be science based, they should
do everyone a favor and dissolve there organization.
JUST because of low documented human body count with nvCJD and the long
incubation periods, the lack of sound science being replaced by political and
corporate science in relations with the fact that science has now linked some
sporadic CJD with atypical BSE and atypical scrapie, and the very real threat of
CWD being zoonosis, I believed the O.I.E. has failed terribly and again, I call
for this organization to be dissolved. ...
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
O.I.E. BSE, CWD, SCRAPIE, TSE PRION DISEASE Final Report of the 80th
General Session, 20 - 25 May 2012
TSS
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