Phil Ban on beef from The Netherlands lifted

By Riza T. Olchondra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 16:50:00 05/18/2009
http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20090518-205712/Ban-on-beef-from-The-Netherlands-lifted


MANILA, Philippines--The country has lifted the ban on the entry of beef and beef products from The Netherlands following confirmation from global animal health authorities that the exporting country has managed to control mad cow disease in its territory.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said in a statement on Monday that the ban was lifted based on the declaration by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) or World Organization on Animal Health that the classification of The Netherlands improved to the level of “controlled risk“ from mad cow disease or the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy” (BSE), a brain-wasting illness.

Yap noted that recent international guidelines set out by the OIE provided for certain measures under which all beef and beef products from animals of all ages might be safely traded.

As such, he said, the DA has been allowing the importation of beef from The Netherlands with the following conditions:

*Boneless and bone-in beef can be sourced from cattle of all ages devoid of any nerves and other BSE-specified risk materials;

*The beef, whether boneless, or bone-in, should come only from healthy
ambulatory and not downer cattle;

*The age of the slaughter cattle shall be certified by the government
authority; and,

*The slaughter date of the cattle or the production date of the beef shall be included in the packaging label.

“All shipments into the country of beef originating from The Netherlands not complying with these conditions shall be confiscated by Veterinary Quarantine Officers/Inspectors at all major sea/airports,” Yap said.