News Release
2003-59
July 24, 2003
For immediate release
Federal regulations amended to enhance BSE controls by preventing specified risk material from entering human food supply
OTTAWA - Today the Government of Canada took another major step in further
protecting Canada's food supply and reducing the risk of Canadians becoming exposed to
the agent that may transmit BSE.
The Government of Canada has amended the Food and Drug Regulations and the Health
of Animals Regulations to prevent specified risk material (SRM) from entering the
human food supply. This follows a July 18th announcement by Health Minister Anne McLellan
and Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lyle Vanclief of the additional measures the federal
government is taking to enhance bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) controls.
In BSE-infected cattle, the infective agent is concentrated in tissues such as the brain
and spinal cord. Studies have indicated a potential link between the consumption of certain
tissues containing abnormal prion proteins from infected cattle and the incidence of variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), the human equivalent of BSE.
These regulations establish a definition for SRM and prohibit the sale or import for sale
of food products containing SRM under the Food and Drug Regulations from countries that
are not BSE-free. The amendments to the Health of Animals Regulations will require the
removal of SRM from carcasses and prohibit the export and use of SRM in food for human
consumption. SRM are defined as the skull, brain, trigeminal ganglia (nerves attached to
the brain), eyes, tonsils, spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (nerves attached to the
spinal cord) of cattle aged 30 months or older (scientific research has shown that these
tissues, in cattle younger than 30 months, do not contain the infective agent); and the
distal ileum (portion of the small intestine) of cattle of all ages.
The effective date for these regulations is August 23, 2003. However, in federally-registered
establishments, a CFIA directive will require SRM removal immediately.
These regulations reflect the Government of Canada's commitment to strengthening Canada's BSE measures
and to protecting the health of Canadians and consumers of Canadian beef.
For more information on SRM, please visit the Health Canada and CFIA Web sites at www.hc-sc.gc.ca and  www.inspection.gc.ca.
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For more information:
Health Canada
Media Relations
(613) 957-2983
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Media Relations
(613) 228-6682
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Media Relations
(613) 759-7972
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