Madness prompts border beef ban

Ken Johnston
Editor

Sheer madness has taken over the border between the United States and Canada.
While officials from Canada have been pushing for the reopening of the U.S. border to live imports of Canadian beef since last May when a single case of Mad Cow Disease (BSE) was discovered in Alberta, another case was discovered in Washington, U.S. just before Christmas.
That prompted many countries including Canada to close the border to U.S. beef and beef products. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) the ban applies to:
• Bovines (other than cattle
for immediate slaughter)
• Sheep and Goats
• Cervids
• Ruminant embryos
Camelids (including llamas and alpacas) are not affected by the importation suspension.
Consumers also can not bring any ruminant or ruminant derived products into Canada from U.S. grocery stores. That includes ruminant edible and unedible meat and meat products (including by-products), fat and tallow.
The CFIA has also issued a temporary ban on importation of pet foods, tallow, fertilizers, livestock and animal feeds containing rendered animal proteins. One major pet food company told the Record over the weekend that they have been in contact with Canadian authorities and that they expect the temporary ban on pet foods to be lifted, or at the very least an exemption to be put in place, on pet foods not containing any beef or beef by-products.
CFIA has not banned milk, milk products and derivatives, hides, skins, hair, ossein, bone ash, bone charcoal, bone oil, dicalcium phosphate, ruminant semen, animal glue, oliosterin, tryglycerides, glycerol, sorbitan esters, pet chews, protein-free rendered tallow, boneless beef from cattle less than 30 months of age.
Canadian farmers took a real beating since May with the U.S. ban on Canadian beef. Prices plummeted at sales barns and many farmers were unable to sell their cattle at a profit. Efforts to get the border to Canada’s largest importer of beef were very close to transpiring, with expectations placing that action on the calendar some time early this year. It is expected that may be delayed pending the discovery of the cow in Washington. That means consumers can not take beef products in either direction.
Farmers in both countries face gridlock and a very uncertain future when it comes to raising cattle for export.
Pork and poultry has not been affected by the ban. Consumers can bring them across the border as freely as ever.
Consumers are encouraged to read the label on any product they buy to take across the border. Items may contain beef or beef by-products and will be turned back at the border.