Powdered blood imported from mad cow disease-hit Europe

Powdered blood was being imported until recently from Europe, where mad cow disease has broken out.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry reported Tuesday that a total of 131 tons of powdered blood were brought in on seven occasions last year from France and Germany, where mad cow disease has been detected. The imported product included mixed powdered blood from cows and pigs. In 1999, 66 tons of mixed powered blood from cows and pigs were imported from Germany.

The ministry has implemented import bans since 1996 one after another on beef, bone meal and other byproducts from the region ridden by mad cow disease, but it banned the import of powdered blood as recently as Dec. 30 last year, an official said.

The possibility of transmitting an infection of the fatal disease through powdered blood has been denied so far. But the European Union decided to ban the use of all byproducts such as powdered blood and gelatins at the end of last year, and other countries followed suit.

The ministry official said that such advanced countries as the United States, Australia and Japan prohibited the import of powdered blood no later than last year¡¯s end.