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Ireland has temporarily suspended beef exports to China following the confirmation of an atypical case of BSE.
The Department of Agriculture notified the Chinese authorities in recent days in line with agreed protocol and this triggered a temporary suspension of trade effective from 22 May.
The temporary suspension will remain in place until an epidemiological report is finalised and discussed with the Chinese authorities.
It comes after a suspected case of BSE being investigated by the Department in a 14-year old dead cow on 14 May was confirmed by laboratory tests on 22 May. The animal died on farm and was sent to a knackery facility in Co Tipperary.
Controls
In a statement the Department said: “Ireland’s BSE controls are effective and consistent with legal requirements and best international practice. These standards are recognised by the OIE and are the basis on which Irish beef is exported to some 70 countries worldwide.
“It is testament to these controls that this suspect BSE case was identified; a demonstrable proof that our food safety controls work.”
It stressed there was no public health risk associated with the case and that cases of atypical BSE do not affected Ireland’s ‘controlled risk status’ for BSE or its progress towards ‘negligible risk’ status.
Market
The last confirmed case of BSE in the Republic of Ireland was an 18-year-old cow in Co Galway in 2017. It was also atypical and posed no risk to public health.
China reopened its market to Irish beef in 2018 after banning beef imports from the EU in 2000 due to fears over BSE. In the first quarter of 2020, over 3,000t of beef was shipped to the Chinese market which has been returning to normal following severe disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
See this week’s Irish Famers Journal where Adam Woods and Phelim O’Neill will assess the impact on the Irish beef trade.
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