BSE

Beef imports from BSE nations not traced

February 8, 2010 by admin

Beef imported to Australia from countries where there has been an outbreak of mad cow disease will not be traced back to individual farms, a Senate inquiry has been told. Yet beef farms in Australia are subject to full traceability through the National Livestock Identification System. The double standard drew the ire of coalition senators during a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra on Monday. "How on earth ... can we be sure about the beef that's coming from that (overseas) property?" Nationals senator Fiona Nash asked the chief veterinary officer from the government's Biosecurity Service Group. Asked whether there would be individual assessments of traceability, Dr Andy Carroll replied: "No." read more

Why import healthy cows, let alone possibly infected ones? What's next, importing coal, iron ore, wheat and beach sand?

Beef import decision 'risks Aussie jobs'

February 6, 2010 by admin

(SMH) The federal government's decision to allow beef to be imported from countries that have had outbreaks of mad cow disease could put 300,000 people out of work in a week, a Senate inquiry has heard. [...] Veterinary surgeon Bob Steel told the inquiry once countries that have BSE were allowed to export beef, there was uncertainty surrounding how effective and thorough the overseas testing would be. "The only requirement for these 22 countries is that if they have a cohort of BSE cattle, that they test them, not all the others," Dr Steel said. "Without identification, how can we possibly know what's coming into the country." The US is not required to say how many cases of BSE they have, he said. read more