Enfer BSE test approved in US

By Eric Donald

Abbott laboratories have received approval from the USDA for the sale and distribution of the Enfer BSE test. The Irish-developed Enfer test has already been widely used across Europe and in Japan to test beef carcases for BSE.

Abbott Laboratories entered into a sale and distribution deal with the owners and developers of the Enfer test back in 2001. This gives Abbott the exclusive rights to sell and distribute the test worldwide outside of Ireland.

Increased surveillance of high-risk animals for the disease is planned in the United States, and the programme is expected to be fully implemented from June. The testing will be conducted through the USDA's national veterinary laboratory in Ames in Iowa, and seven other state laboratories have been approved.

These are geographically dispersed in California, Colorado, Texas, Wisconsin, Washington, Georgia, and New York. State funding is being provided to equip these centres for rapid testing.

The USDA are resisting calls for every animal to be tested for BSE, pointing out that testing in Europe has only shown a small percentage of cases in animals under 30 months of age. One small Kansas-based beef packing company has threatened to sue the USDA because it has refused the company a licence to test all beef carcases processed at the factory.

Creekstone Farms Premium beef maintain that its Japanese customers would buy its beef if it tested all carcases processed at the factory.

However, the USDA argue that there is no justification for 100% testing of all animals because the disease does not occur in younger animals.

During the last week, the US beef industry received a further boost with Mexico agreeing to increase the number of US beef products that it will allow to be imported. It had already partially lifted the ban on US beef on 3 March, but these latest concessions now mean that 74% of traditional US beef exports to Mexico can resume.