BSE (Mad Cow Disease) and Food Safety

January 2005

Information

In Canada, BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) continues to pose an extremely low risk to human health. It is understandable that the recent news about the detection of another case of BSE is disconcerting but many steps have been taken to reduce all potential risks associated with BSE in Canada.

First and foremost, Health Canada requires the removal of all specified risk material (SRM) from the food supply. SRM are those tissues that most likely contain the BSE agent if a cow were infected. For cattle over the age of 30 months, those tissues include the skull, brain, spinal cord and a portion of the small intestine. Removing SRM at slaughter is the single most important public health protection measure that can be taken. This measure was instituted in Canada in July 2003.

Even before 2003, measures that protect animal and public health were in place, including a ban on the import of animals, beef, or beef products from countries with BSE, a ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban (e.g. banning cattle protein from cattle feed) and a surveillance system for BSE. For further information on these measures, visit the CFIA web site.

Canadians can also be confident in the safety of beef and milk because scientific research from around the world indicates that BSE is not transmitted through muscle meat or from cow's milk. Muscle meat, milk and milk products, are, therefore, considered safe by Health Canada and international health agencies such as the World Health Organization. A further food safety measure involves pre-slaughter and post-slaughter inspection of cattle at all federally inspected facilities.

In regards to the cattle that have tested positive for BSE in Canada, no part of the animals in question entered the human food supply. The carcass of any cow being tested for BSE remains in the control of regulatory authorities pending results.

With increased testing, the Government of Canada expected that some additional cases of BSE would be discovered but measures are in place to protect Canadians.