Department of Agriculture lifts ban on beef from The Netherlands

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the ban on the entry of beef and beef products from The Netherlands following confirmation from global animal health authorities that the country has managed the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or “mad cow” disease which had affected some of it cattle population.

The DA lifted the ban following a declaration by the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) or World Organization on Animal Health that the classification of The Netherlands has improved to “controlled risk” under the provisions of its Terrestrial Animal Health Code.

BSE or “mad cow” disease is a transmissible, fatal brain animal ailment afflicting cattle.

Authorities have raised the possibility that “mad cow” could be the cause of a new variant of the Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a human brain-wasting illness.

The DA said recent international guidelines set out by the OIE provides for certain measures under which all beef and beef products from animals of all ages may be safely traded.

As such, the DA is allowing the importation of beef from The Netherlands with the following conditions.

• Boneless and bone-in beef can be sourced from cattle of all ages devoid of any nerves and other BSE-specified risk materials.

• The beef, whether boneless, or bone-in, should come only from healthy ambulatory and not sick or downed cattle.

• The age of the slaughtered cattle must be certified by the government authority.

• The slaughter date of the cattle or the production date of the beef must be included on the packaging label.