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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (June 17) that it would further relax the import restriction on beef from the United States (US) with immediate effect.
"In view of the US's implementation of enhanced control measures against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, also known as mad cow disease) and the fact that the US has been granted 'Negligible' BSE risk status by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the CFS, having completed an audit inspection of enhanced control measures imposed by the US and being convinced that food safety can be assured, has decided to further lift the import restriction on US beef. The decision has also been endorsed by the Expert Committee on Food Safety," a CFS spokesman said.
"Following the further relaxation of the import restriction, bone-in beef products (excluding cuts with vertebral columns from cattle 30 months of age and older), tongue (no tonsils), ox tail and offal (no distal ileum) are allowed to be imported from the US. Each and every consignment of beef must have the CFS' prior import permission and be accompanied by a health certificate," he added.
Since February last year, beef rib cuts and other bone-in beef (except vertebral column cuts) from cattle less than 30 months old and deboned beef from cattle of all ages have been allowed to be imported from the US.
"The CFS will continue to closely monitor the information and recommendations issued by the OIE concerning BSE worldwide. Appropriate actions will be taken to safeguard food safety and public health," the spokesman said.
Ends/Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:05
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