4 January 2005

New BSE case won’t close border

The following article is extracted from the 3 January 2005 edition of the “Ottawa Citizen”.

The U.S. government continues to maintain that the border will open to Canadian beef in March, despite a confirmed case of mad cow disease.

Alisa Harrison of the U.S. Agriculture Department says she doesn't anticipate yesterday's confirmation will change the timing.

Th Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed yesterday that an older dairy cow from Alberta tested positive for mad cow disease.

But the agency says it's not an increased risk to food safety. …

Ted Haney of the Canada Beef Export Federation, says the latest case is a legacy of the era before increased safety regulations.

He notes both infected cows were born in the 90's, before more stringent regulations were brought in.