Canada must scrutinize the feed industry
CANADA - Canada's largest market for beef, the United States, postponed plans to allow more imports of Canadian cattle over the age of 30 months in light of this country's latest case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) found in Alberta. It is...

No alarm bells ringing following new BSE
CANADA - Canada’s fifth case of BSE this year has been confirmed in an Alberta cow, officials said last Wednesday. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said preliminary information provided by the owner and an examination conducted by a private...

Canada cow diagnosed with mad cow disease
CANADA - Canadian officials say a 50-month-old Alberta dairy cow contracted bovine spongiform encephalopathy -- or mad cow disease -- from contaminated feed. Source: Political Gateway

Alberta hotspot for mad cow disease, says R-CALF
ALBERTA - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed the detection of the country's eighth case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease in an Alberta beef cow. This is Canada's fifth mad cow case this year and overall eighth...

Mad cow disease confirmed in Alberta cow
ALBERTA - Government officials confirmed Canada's eighth case of mad-cow disease in a mature beef cow from Alberta on Wednesday. But no part of the animal's carcass has entered human or animal food chains, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said. Source:...

Mad cow research to continue
SWITZERLAND - One of the world's leading experts on mad cow disease tells swissinfo why the Swiss government will continue research into the disease despite its near disappearance. Adriano Aguzzi, director of the Institute of Neuropathology at Zurich...

Japan has a cow over American beef
JAPAN - It's been weeks since Japan ditched its import ban on U.S. beef and the first shipment went on sale, but American beef is nowhere to be seen at supermarkets here - except this nation's five Costco stores. Many Japanese are worried about the...

Progress report on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies published
UK - The third annual progress report on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies in Great Britain is published today. The 2005 report notes the continued decline in the number of BSE cases and the achievement of three key targets. Source: Def...

Mad cow disease no longer a priority for Swiss
SWITZERLAND - The Federal Veterinary Office says it will reduce its BSE unit from 20 people to 12 by the end of 2006 and shift its focus to the entire food production chain. So far this year two cases of BSE have been reported; in 2005 the Swiss authorities...

British beef available in Cyprus from 2007
CYPRUS - British beef is to be exported for the first time to Cyprus following a decision by the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) to launch a major marketing campaign through supermarket retailer Carrefour on the island.     ...

Cattle numbers plunge since reopening of US border
CANADA - After swelling to a record high, Canada's cattle herd plunged by 810,000 head in the year since the American border reopened to some live bovines the first decline in herd size in seven years. Cattlemen reported 16.2 million head on their farms...

Japan approves 35th US beef packing plant
JAPAN - There’s an additional U.S. beef packing plant from which the Japanese will accept shipments. Japan’s ag ministry says Brawley Beef located in California but owned by National Beef in Kansas City, passed inspection last week. It’s...

Japanese wary of US beef imports
JAPAN - Last month, Japan reopened its doors to US beef, giving hope to exporters that the lucrative market might rebound, but Japanese consumers are not as optimistic. Source: FoodNavigator-USA

Warning system for animal diseases
GLOBAL - World health officials have launched an early warning system to detect and control animal diseases that can be transmitted to humans. Concern at the threat caused by zoonoses - diseases which pass from animals into humans - has soared in recent...

S Korea to consider lifting beef ban after inspectors visit US
KOREA - South Korea will send a team of experts to scrutinize US meat processing facilities before deciding whether or not to lift a three-year ban on US beef imports, officials said. 'They will stay in the US from next week through early next month...

Processor seeks OK for own cow testing
US - Creekstone Farms, which wants to test all its animals, is at odds with the USDA. After another futile visit to the nation's capital, John Stewart faced a tough decision. Give up, or let the courts decide. So Stewart, founder and CEO of Creekstone...

Canada completes investigation of sixth BSE case
CANADA - Canadian authorities have concluded their investigation of the sixth case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), confirmed on Jul 3 in a cow from Manitoba. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), in an Aug 8 announcement on the investigation,...

First U.S. beef since ban goes on sale at Costco
JAPAN - U.S. beef went on sale Wednesday for the first time since the lifting of a ban imposed in January over mad cow disease, officials from the stores selling the meat said. Inspectors Tuesday opened the way for sales of U.S. beef to resume in the...

USDA eases rules on bovine imports from Canada
CANADA - The U.S. Agriculture Department proposed on Wednesday to allow imports of Canadian poultry and pork processed at plants that also handle cattle, in a sign of declining fears of mad cow disease. USDA now requires that Canadian meat products...

Shipment of U.S. Beef Arrives in Japan
JAPAN - Japan imported its first shipment of American beef since January on Monday, resuming a once-booming business that has been crippled for nearly three years over fears of mad cow disease. The 5.1 tons of American chilled beef arrived on a cargo...