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CANADA TO ENHANCE BSE FEED CONTROLS

OTTAWA, July 9, 2004 – The Government of Canada today announced it will introduce new animal feed restrictions to further strengthen Canada’s safeguards against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The Government intends to require the removal of bovine specified risk materials (SRM) from the animal feed chain. SRM are tissues that, in infected cattle, harbour the BSE agent. These tissues are already removed from all animals slaughtered for human consumption.

This measure will add an additional level of security to Canada’s current feed ban, which has prohibited feeding cattle with ruminant materials including SRM since 1997. Preventing these potentially infectious materials from entering the entire feed production chain at the start diminishes the effects of potential cross-contamination of ruminant animal feeds that could occur as feed is produced and distributed, as well as any inappropriate on-farm use. Based on risk analyses, removing SRM from animal feed will more quickly reduce the incidence of BSE in North America by preventing future disease spread.

"Canada had the foresight to implement protections, such as the feed ban, well before we discovered BSE in this part of the world," said Bob Speller, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister Responsible for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. "Taking a forward looking approach to build on those safeguards will provide the long-term level of animal health protection needed."

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency will introduce a regulatory proposal to require the removal and redirection of SRM and dead and downer cattle from all animal feed, including pet food. Given the importance of this measure, the Government has been carefully considering various options in consultation with provincial and territorial representatives, stakeholders and international counterparts, including from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Government will continue to consult widely on the scope, implementation timetable, and other operational details for this measure as it is further developed.

Following the detection of BSE in North America, the international team of animal health experts that reviewed the Canadian BSE situation strongly endorsed removal and redirection of SRM from the animal feed chain. A similar recommendation was made by the team that reviewed the American BSE experience. Feed restrictions are universally recognized as the critical measure to contain the spread of BSE.

Canadian and American authorities have worked cooperatively over the past months to develop coherent approaches to address BSE in North America. This effort reflects the integrated nature of the North American market and the shared commitment of both countries to implement science-based safeguards to protect animal health.

Since detecting BSE in North America last year, the Government has taken significant steps to strengthen Canada’s BSE safeguards. Canada has excluded SRM from human food, is enhancing animal identification and intensifying BSE surveillance. The addition of new feed controls will further strengthen the future health of the national herd and complete Canada’s response to the key recommendations of the international team.

"Today's announcement complements the substantial measures we've already taken to protect public health," said Minister of Health Pierre Pettigrew. "We will continue to work with the international community to ensure that the most effective safeguards for bovine-derived products are in place in Canada."

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For information:

Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Media relations:   (613) 228-6682

Health Canada
Media relations:   (613) 957-1588

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