Canada Hit with Mad Cow Disease

With the discovery of mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, in Canada, the Korean Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has taken necessary measures by prohibiting the import of Canadian beef and any products related to cows from Canada on May 21.

The Ministry is planning to return or dispose of all Canadian cow products in the custody of the domestic quarantine office as well as trace products already circulating in the domestic market.

In response, the Korea Food & Drug Administration and Korea Customs Service also requested that people stop using bone powder and serum from Canadian cows as ingredients in any cosmetics or drug products.

Last year, the total amount of imported Canadian beef and related products was 50,000 tons. 19,000 tons have been imported this year as of the end of April. This takes up 4.6% of domestic imports related to beef products.

An authority at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry explained that “since the Canadian government has clarified that the current outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy is limited to just one cow, there is a very slim chance of the virus spreading among the already circulating Canadian beef products in the domestic market. We however, are putting these measures into place to prepare for any possible problems.”

A number of countries including Korea have decided to prohibit any imports related to products possibly tainted with bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The number has increased to 5 countries: Britain, France, Israel, Japan and Canada.

The Canadian government announced on May 20 that an eight-year-old cow on a farm in Alberta province contracted the disease and that they have isolated the farm to stem the spread of the disease.

“After slaughtering and carrying out a through examination of the eight-year-old cow which showed symptoms of pneumonia, it has been clarified that it indeed had contracted bovine spongiform encephalopathy,” Canadian Agricultural Minister Lyle Vanclif clarified at a press conference.

Canada currently ranks 10th (2.5%) in beef production around the world.

The United States has also taken measures to prohibit the import of Canadian beef products and the like.

Ki-Jeong Ko Kwan-Hee Hong koh@donga.com konihong@donga.com