S’pore: No beef suspension
SINGAPORE – Singapore has not suspended the import of beef from Brazil, because the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has assessed that the risk of mad cow disease is negligible.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said that “this means that the risk of Brazilian cattle being infected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy is very low”.
Even before the case of mad cow was confirmed in Brazil last month, AVA had in place strict requirements on its beef imports from Brazil.
For example, the spinal cords, which are usually infected when animals have the disease, need to be removed before export.
AVA said its Brazilian counterpart also has other measures in place, such as requirements on feed given to cattle and a system to track infections.
Last year, beef from Brazil made up about 18 per cent of total beef imports to Singapore.
AVA was unable to confirm the total amount of beef imported last year.
In 2011, 36,659 tonnes of beef was imported into Singapore. AVA could not say how much of this came from Brazil.
Source: The Straits Times
Category: Community