PHL lifts ban on imported beef from Portugal

The Philippines has lifted its 10-year ban on beef and beef products from Portugal after it was able to confirm that bovine meat products there are now free of the dreaded mad cow disease, the Department of Agriculture said Tuesday. The lifting of the ban was contained in the Department of Agriculture’s Memorandum Order No. 28 dated Dec. 14, 2010. The ban was imposed in 2000 after European countries confirmed cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease, a transmissible and fatal brain animal ailment affecting cattle. “Portugal has been recognized as having a controlled BSE risk, according to Resolution No. XXI during the 76th General Session of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) last May 30, 2008," the memo read. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, meanwhile, said importing beef and beef products from Portugal is subject to 3 conditions. The memo provided that the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries of Portugal should certify that these conditions were met. These conditions are:

• boneless and bone-in beef can be sourced from cattle of all ages devoid of any nerves and other BSE-specified risk materials (SRM);
• the beef, whether boneless or bone-in should come only from healthy ambulatory and not downed cattle; and
• the slaughter date of the cattle or the production date of the beef should be included in the packaging label.

“All shipments into the country of beef originating from Portugal not complying with these conditions shall be confiscated by Agriculture Veterinary Quarantine Officers/Inspectors at all major seaports or airports," said Alcala in his memo. Former Agriculture secretary and now Sen. Edgardo J. Angara imposed in 2000 a ban on the importation of cattle meat and meat products from European countries after the government found that a variant of the Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease in humans could probably be transmitted by eating mad cow-infected animals. Aside from Portugal, the ban also covered meat and meat products from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, France, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Germany. The Philippines lifted then ban on Dutch beef and beef products in 2009. - KBK/VS, GMANews.TV