Monday, June 3, 2013

OIE Upgrades the U.S. BSE Risk Classification to "Negligible"


On May 29, 2013, the world animal health body (OIE), upgraded the U.S. risk classification for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) from “controlled risk” to “negligible risk.” According to the United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, the cattle industry has been working to restore the perception of U.S. beef since the discovery of a BSE-positive cow in Washington State in 2003. He credits the implementation of a “system of interlocking safeguards” to keep BSE-infected cattle out of the food supply for the achievement of the upgraded risk status.

The OIE requires that a country must participate in the OIE procedure for the official recognition of disease status to change its risk classification.

For more information, please see the OIE’s website, and its Terrestrial Animal Health Code, Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy.
Written By Sarah Doyle - Research Assistant
Penn State Law- Agricultural Law Center
June 3, 2013

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