On July 2, 2003, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) released its final report on Canada’s bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) investigation. The report is available on the CFIA Web site at www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/heasan/disemala/bseesb/evale.shtml.
The report provides a detailed, scientific examination of Canada’s BSE investigation and the significance of a single case of BSE in that country, which was confirmed on May 20, 2003. The findings of the report have been presented to the international panel of animal disease and human health experts who examined Canada’s BSE investigation, as well as officials from the United States, Japan, and Mexico.
On the Japan front, senior Canadian officials have been in Tokyo to convey the results of the investigation to the Japanese government. The series of meetings with Japanese ministers, other diet members, and technical officials informed Japanese decision makers about the nature of the BSE case in Canada, its origins, Canadian preventive measures in the past/present, future actions, and the reality of the total integration of the North American cattle and beef markets. In doing so, there has been close consultation with U.S. officials to coordinate messages. As a result of these efforts, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture issued the following press release, translated in English by the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo.
Summary of Results of Inspection in Canada Regarding the Occurrence of BSE in the Country
Canada’s measures against BSE:
• In 1988, import of meat and bone meal, except from the United States, was banned;
• In 1990, import of live cattle from the United Kingdom was banned. In 1994, import from other countries where BSE has occurred was banned;
• In 1991, import of beef and beef products from countries where BSE has occurred was banned;
• In 1993, following the case in Canada of BSE in cattle imported from the United Kingdom, remaining live cattle imported from the United Kingdom were destroyed and incinerated;
• In 1997, feeding of meat and bone meal originating from ruminants to other ruminants was banned;
• From 1992 to the present, 10,500 cattle showing neurological symptoms have been placed under surveillance.
Current state of investigation of the cause of BSE in Canada:
• Since the first BSE-infected cow was confirmed on May 20, 2003, approximately 2,700 epidemiologi-cally linked cattle have been tested for BSE. None has tested positive.
• According to an epidemiological investigation by a team of Canadian specialists, it is virtually certain that the BSE-infected cow was born in Canada and was six years old. Regarding the cause of the BSE occurrence, it is highly possible that feed, including meat and bone meal, was used before the 1997 ban on feeding meat and bone meal to ruminants.
Steps to be taken now and in the future as a result of the occurrence of BSE:
• The terminal ileum and spinal cord of all cattle, the cranium (including eyes, trigeminal ganglia, and palate tonsils), and the spine (including dorsal root ganglia) of cattle over 30 months old will be removed at the slaughterhouse beginning very soon.
• Tighter surveillance, including follow-up surveillance of cattle dying at the ranch, will be considered. (A policy to encourage offering of specimens from cattle dying at the ranch will be considered.)
• An expansion and strengthening of the ban on feeding meat and bone meal to ruminants will be considered.
Canadian Beef Industry Impacted
After the confirmation of BSE, the Canadian government posted information on the Food Safety Agency Web site, set up a consumer hotline, and took other risk communication measures. There has been hardly any influence on the consumption of beef in Canada.
On the other hand, there has been tremendous impact on the Canadian beef industry, including layoffs at meat packing facilities and retention of cattle on feedlots and elsewhere, due to the import ban by the United States, Canada’s major export market.
As a result, Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial Ministers of Agriculture announced a national program to provide temporary assistance to help the Canadian beef industry continue to operate while borders are closed. The program is funded at $460 million Canadian and will be cost-shared at a 60/40 ratio by the federal government and participating provinces and territories respectively.
The program has two key parts. The first consists of measures that will allow producers to receive payments for cattle owned as of May 20, 2003, that were subsequently sold for slaughter in Canada. Producers will be compensated when the price of cattle is below a reference price, which is based on market value in the United States. Government support increases as the average price delinces, and the percentage of government contribution decreases as the price declines, creating a strong incentive for producers to sell at the best price possible.
The second part of the program offers processors incentives to sell or otherwise move surplus meat cuts that were produced after May 20 out of inventory. These cuts generally have a low domestic demand and are exported. This aspect of the program is designed to free up storage space, thereby allowing processors to operate at an increased capacity to serve Canada’s domestic market.
August 2003 Render