Canadian Beef Now Banned In Five Countries

[Judi Lynn]

Source: International Business Times

Canadian Beef Now Banned In Five Countries
By Esther Tanquintic-Misa @ibtimesau on March 02 2015 5:33 PM

Apart from South Korea, four more countries have placed bans on importing beef sourced from Canada due to the confirmed case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease. The countries are China, Peru, Belarus and Taiwan. Indonesia implemented temporary restrictions on some non-edible meat products.

Although they are not major importers, potential earnings from their imports are still lost opportunities. “It doesn’t matter who joins the list, we still wouldn’t be happy about it,” Veryln Olsen, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister told Global News. Still, he said they still have yet to receive word if the country’s major trading partners would ever release bans against Canadian beef.

Canada’s primary importers of its beef are U.S., Mexico and Hong Kong. Together, they account for 87 percent of Canada’s $1.9-billion a year beef industry. “Our biggest trading partners seem very solid,” Olson said. “The U.S. and Mexico and Japan are solidly on board, so that gives us some confidence.” Hong Kong, he said, purchases $172.5 million beef each year in Alberta. It is Alberta’s second-largest trading partner.

The case of mad cow disease now going among Canadian partners stemmed from a beef from Alberta. But Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz remained optimistic Canada's international beef trade will not be greatly hampered because the country works under stringent international protocols. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency assured consumers both domestic and international no part of the animal's carcass entered the human food or animal feed systems.


Read more: http://au.ibtimes.com/canadian-beef-now-banned-five-countries-1426021

[CanSocDem]

1. "...stringent international protocols." = $$$$$$$$$$ (eom)

[Coventina]

2. Another day to be glad I stopped eating beef in the early 90s

I don't even give it to my dogs.

[Nihil]

3. "The U.S. and Mexico and Japan are solidly on board"

Japan doesn't have too many alternative suppliers at a price that can match Canada's and,
let's face it, Canadian beef is still healthier than US beef so that market is going to stay open
forever.

It's not as if the US is going to start testing beef is it? They've even passed laws to ensure
that no-one *can* legally test their own cows & publish the results.

[CanSocDem]

4. It's a weird market.

Japan isn't worried because it tests every single animal it processes for food. The USA isn't worried because it knows the consumer can safely be fed 'garbage', as long as they believe it is safe.

Producers only have to make their product look healthy. After all, it's about making money.



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