May 27, 2005 — The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) adopted new international guidelines yesterday, changing its recommendations for beef trade restrictions related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
According to a Reuters report, the OIE adopted changes to the International Animal Health Code Chapter on BSE, a benchmark for international animal trade, to streamline the system for classifying countries according to BSE risk.
Among OIE policy changes, a new three-tier system of BSE-risk categories will replace the organization’s former five-category classification. The three-tier system — consisting of negligible, controlled and undetermined risk categories — will put more emphasis on relative safety of beef exports rather than a country’s number of BSE cases, the article stated. New guidelines also ease recommendations regarding imports of deboned meat products meeting certain age and processing requirements — regardless of the country of origin’s BSE-risk status.
Following OIE’s announcement, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns released a statement applauding the organization for modernizing BSE guidelines. He said OIE’s guidelines incorporate current science, risk mitigation measures and other low-risk considerations associated with BSE.
“We look forward to working with other countries to amend regulations to reflect these guidelines, which will continue to promote our first objective of safeguarding animal and human health,” Johanns stated.
While there are no obligations to adhere to OIE standards, countries worldwide — including the United States, Canada and Japan — often cite the health organization’s standards in negotiating trade agreements.
— by Crystal Albers, Angus Productions Inc. assistant editor
