World Organization for Animal Health Says United States is Controlled Risk Country for BSE

The American Meat Institute (AMI) said today that it is gratified by the World Organization for Animal Health’s (OIE) adoption of a recommendation to classify the U.S. as a controlled risk country for BSE and hopes that this classification will restore U.S. beef exports to pre-2004 levels.

“This classification is a clear recognition of the U.S. beef industry’s proactive efforts to prevent, detect and control BSE,” said AMI President J. Patrick Boyle. He noted that no other BSE-free nation took so many aggressive measures to build firewalls to the disease before it was ever diagnosed within its borders. “The U.S.’ aggressive surveillance system, which exceeds international guidelines, has confirmed that BSE is on its way out of North America. There is no doubt: U.S. cattle are healthy and U.S. beef is safe.”

“We believe we have demonstrated our leadership and foresight in BSE prevention, control and surveillance and have earned the trust of governments worldwide and of consumers around the globe,” Boyle added. “We hope that this affirmation of the health of U.S. cattle herds and the safety of U.S. beef will give our trading partners full confidence.”