Canada Moots New BSE Policy on Imports

OTTAWA - May 19/05 - SNS -- The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is seeking public comment on a proposed new Canadian Import Policy aimed at preventing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in bovine animals and their products.

The proposed policy would bring Canada's approach in line with new World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) standards as well as the proposed North American import standard announced on March 29, 2005. It is based on the recognition that international knowledge of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and measures to mitigate its transmission have advanced significantly since Canada's existing import policy for controlling BSE was established in 1997.

An international team of BSE experts reviewed the Canadian situation and recommended that Canadian policy be brought into line with the OIE standard, noting that this would demonstrate leadership in encouraging a more rational regulatory response to BSE detection by governments around the world. The new policy would also be consistent with the regulatory treatment that Canada is requesting of other countries with respect to exports from Canada.

The new policy would be less restrictive than the current one. Canada's current policy permits the importation of live ruminants including, cattle, sheep and goats, and products derived from them, only after the exporting country has been officially recognized by the CFIA as BSE-free based on a risk assessment. Current science recognizes that the "BSE-free" requirement is unnecessarily restrictive.

The draft policy is based on a proposed new OIE three-tier system for classifying bovine-trading countries based on their BSE risk management regimes. In all cases, exporting countries would also have to continue to meet other non-BSE food safety and animal health requirements before becoming eligible to ship to Canada under any of the new BSE risk categories.

The commodity focus of the proposed policy would be narrowed from the existing policy; it would apply only to bovine animals (including cattle and bison) and their products. The existing policy would continue to apply to other ruminant species, such as sheep and goats, until import policies specific to these species are developed and implemented.

A consultation period ending on July 22, 2005 is being provided to allow interested parties the opportunity to provide comments on the draft policy. Notice of this consultation is being published in the Canada Gazette.

The consultation paper and draft policy can be found on the CFIA web site at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/disemala/bseesb/imp/consulpape.shtml