Brasília – This Tuesday (28th), the World Assembly of Delegates of the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) has confirmed Brazil’s sanitary status as being one of ‘negligible risk,’ the lowest possible, for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, aka the mad cow disease. The decision, which was announced at a plenary meeting, corroborates the technical assessment from the OIE Scientific Committee, which concluded in February this year that the case recorded in the Brazilian state of Paraná did not pose a risk to public and animal health in the country, or the countries it engages in trade with. A cow bearing the agent that causes mad cow disease died in 2010 without developing the condition. The case was only disclosed in 2012.
According to the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government has provided all available information on the case and all clarifications needed, and that has led to the decision issued this Tuesday. In a press release, the ministry informed that the network of 139 Brazilian embassies in foreign countries have arranged for debates to take place at international organizations and for missions to be sent to several countries in order to discuss technical reports on the case.
A total of 17 countries and territories have announced some sort of restriction to Brazilian bovine products. The government announced that following the decision announced this Tuesday, beef sales to the countries that have placed restrictions on Brazilian product should be back to normal.
*With information from the ANBA Newsroom. Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
