U.S. aligns beef rules with OIE's BSE standards

The U.S. government on Friday issued new import rules for cattle and beef that will comply with international standards for the prevention of BSE, saying the step could ultimately boost U.S. beef exports.

The European Union said the U.S. move would bring a welcome re-opening of a market closed to its beef since January 1998...

As an example of the new revisions, USDA said boneless beef could be imported because research has shown the meat poses a negligible risk of BSE. Until now, imports were restricted from most nations that had reported a case of the disease.

USDA said the new revisions, which will be published in coming days and take effect 90 days afterward, would not weaken U.S. safeguards...

U.S. officials have struggled for more than a decade to open markets that were restricted following discovery of the first U.S. case of the disease.

The U.S. is among the world's largest importer and exporter of beef. Roughly 10 per cent of U.S. beef is exported, while imports make up nearly 10 per cent of the U.S. supply. Imports tend to be ground beef and lower-cost cuts of beef while the exports are high-value cuts...

This has been excertped from the 4 November 2013 article by Reuters, and is available in its entirety at: http://www.grainews.ca/news/u-s-aligns-beef-rules-with-oies-bse-standards/1002697808/ (subscription may be required.)