USDA Says Canada Feed Ban Is Sufficient

A team from USDA has found that Canadian's ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban is being properly implemented. APHIS Administrator Ron DeHaven says the assessment affirms USDA's decision to begin lifting the ban on live cattle and products from Canada is based on science and poses "virtually no risk to human or animal health."

USDA assembled a team of technical experts that arrived in Canada on Jan. 24 to gather all relevant information to do an in-depth assessment on Canada's ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban and their feed ban inspection program.

The inspection team's report states that "Canada has a robust inspection program, that overall compliance with the feed ban is good and that the feed ban is reducing the risk of transmission of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in the Canadian cattle population."

In both the risk assessment conducted by APHIS as part of the BSE minimal-risk rule and the feed ban assessment, the agency found that compliance by feed mills and rendering facilities in Canada to their feed ban regulations is good and, just like the United States, Canada is continually looking for ways to make it even better.