News

China restricts Canadian beef imports

China has joined the list of countries that are temporarily restricting imports of Canadian beef products due to concern over a case of BSE found in Alberta in mid-February.

China, which represents two percent of Canada’s market for beef, joins Taiwan, Korea, Peru, Indonesia and Belarus in restricting Canadian beef imports. The six countries combined account for about five percent of Canada’s beef exports.

Canadian officials have also announced that the infected cow came from the same farm that had a similar BSE case in 2010. Investigators are looking at all aspects of how both animals were fed and raised, and the quality of the feed that was fed to the most recent cow to test positive for BSE.

In 2007, Canada imposed new rules on feed formulas that restrict certain ingredients from ruminant diets.

Officials say no part of the BSE-positive cow entered the food system, for either animals or pets.