Source:  Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 10/22/09

The office of the Minister for Trade of Australia has announced that the country will begin importing beef and beef products from countries that have had cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) on March 1, 2010.

Previously, Australia had prohibited imports of products from those countries, which includes the United States. The U.S. Meat Export Federation reports that some beef products are exported to Australia from the U.S., but that they generally are processed items made with beef produced in other countries.

The change in policy follows a report based on research done by an Australian epidemiologist that concluded that "the risk to human health from imported beef remains extremely low, provided the appropriate risk mitigation strategies are put in place," the trade minister's office said in a release.

Furthermore, "In reaching this decision, the Government consulted with a wide range of interested health stakeholders and no concerns were raised."

The office also noted that the change will not affect Australia's animal health status, which is ranked as "negligible risk" by the World Organization for Animal Health.

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