Timeline: BSE in North America
2008 August 22, 2008 Canada Detects New Case of Mad Cow Canadian officials confirmed a new case of mad cow disease on Friday in a six-year-old Alberta cow. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, no part of the animal entered the human food or animal feed system and the new case should not affect exports of Canadian beef or cattle. July 10, 2008 South Korean Beef Market To Officially Open July 10 The South Korean beef market will officially open to U.S. exports from cattle 30 months of age or less at 5 a.m. (EDT) tomorrow, it was reported today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. July 3, 2008 South Korean meat importers hesitate to sell US beef South Korean meat importers are hesitant to sell U.S. beef that has cleared quarantine inspections, due to fears of a public backlash, government inspectors said Wednesday. Since the first beef shipments received quarantine clearance certificates on Monday, the total number of certificates issued has grown sharply, but only two shipments have actually cleared customs, said an official of the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service. June 25, 2008 BSE-Tainted Canadian Beef Unlikely to Reach S. Korea through U.S. There is almost no chance of any beef from Canadian cattle with mad cow disease reaching South Korea through the United States, South Korea's Agriculture Ministry said Tuesday. June 23, 2008 CFIA Confirms BSE Found in Cow in British Columbia The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a cow in the Province of British Columbia. This case poses no risk to human or animal health since Canada's stringent BSE safeguards prevented any part of the animal's carcass from entering the human food chain or any potentially infective parts of the animal's carcass from entering the animal feed chain. June 12, 2008 U.S. Consumers Union Demands Mad Cow Testing A group of American consumers yesterday demanded the U.S. government lift the ban on mad cow testing to alleviate safety concerns about U.S. beef at home and abroad. [See related story] May 21, 2008 Seoul Tries to End U.S. Beef Row with Addendum The government hopes that an addendum to last month's revised sanitation import rules will end the ongoing domestic row over U.S. beef safety, a senior trade official said Tuesday. [See related story] May 20, 2008 Seoul, Washington Reach New Accord on Further Safety of U.S. Beef South Korea said Tuesday it has reached a new agreement with the United States on beef import conditions under which Seoul will immediately ban U.S. beef imports if mad cow disease is confirmed in U.S. cattle, the latest move to ease safety concerns about the U.S. product. May 13, 2008 S. Korea's Standards for U.S. Beef Trade to Take Effect on Schedule New import sanitation standards for United States beef are to go into effect within the week in accordance with pre-set schedules, a South Korean agriculture ministry official said Tuesday. May 8, 2008 Seoul officials put public health before beef Seoul officials yesterday pledged to suspend imports of American beef if mad cow disease breaks out in the United States, even if such a move means risking a trade dispute with Washington. April 24, 2008 Japan Suspends Imports from US Meat Plant Japan suspended beef imports Wednesday from a US meatpacking plant that shipped risky cuts in violation of a bilateral accord aimed at limiting the threat of mad cow disease. April 18, 2008 U.S. Beef Exports to South Korea to Resume Next Month Officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico concluded a series of meetings today that provided all three countries an opportunity to discuss issues of mutual concern affecting agriculture, food and trade. March 28, 2008 U.S., Mexico & Canada Announce Trade Standards for Cattle Officials from the United States, Canada and Mexico concluded a series of meetings today that provided all three countries an opportunity to discuss issues of mutual concern affecting agriculture, food and trade. February 28, 2008 Humane Society Sues U.S. in Cattle Case The Humane Society of the United States sued the Agriculture Department on Wednesday for creating a ''loophole'' that it said is permitting potentially sick cows into the food supply. February 26, 2008 Canada Confirms
New Case of Mad Cow February 25, 2008 Japan Resumes Beef Exports to UAE January 23, 2008 USDA Finalizes Minor Updates to BSE Minimal-Risk Countries Regulations
January 21, 2008 U.S. Beef Imports Ban Likely to Be Phased Out Seoul may gradually lift all of its restrictions on U.S.
beef imports, amid continuing safety concerns among the public, triggered
by a case of mad cow disease in 2003, government sources said. January 13, 2008 Japan Suspends Beef Imports from U.S. Packing Plant: Official Japan has suspended beef imports from a US meat packing
plant that breached rules aimed at preventing mad cow disease, a
government official said Sunday. January 02, 2008 No Border Impact from New BSE The recent discovery of a new BSE case in Alberta will not affect the status of cross-border trade, and has Canada touting an excellent surveillance system. 2007 December 18, 2007 Canada Confirms BSE in 13-Year-Old Beef Cow Canada has confirmed a new case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a 13-year-old beef cow in Alberta. This marks the country’s 11th case of the disease since 2003. December 11, 2007 Japan, U.S. Unlikely to Reach Accord on Beef by Year-End Japan and the United States are unlikely to break their deadlock over Japanese import restrictions on U.S. beef by the end of the year. Japan imports U.S. beef from cattle aged 20 months or younger. Washington is calling for the abolition of the age limit, while Tokyo is preparing to raise the threshold to less than 30 months. December 10, 2007 Bone fragments discovered in U.S. beef shipment DATELINE: Taipei, Dec. 8: The Department of Health (DOH) said Saturday that two bone fragments were found in a shipment of imported U.S. beef, marking the third such case within the last two weeks. December 03, 2007 'Age-limit' Requirement for Beef Amended The Department of Agriculture in a statement yesterday amended an earlier ban on bone-in beef over 30-months of age imported from Canada and the US. It will now allow the importation of bone-in beef "of all ages" from these countries. November 26, 2007 Bone Chips Discovered in U.S. Shipment of Brisket The Department of Health (DOH) has decided to ban a U.S. beef company from exporting its products to Taiwan after bone chips were discovered in a shipment of brisket exported by the company, a DOH official said Saturday. November 19, 2007 U.S. Border Set to Reopen to Older Canadian Cattle After more than four years of restricted trade following a mad-cow disease scare and an estimated loss of more than $1.7-billion, Canadian producers are looking forward to today's reopening of the U.S. border to older live Canadian cattle and their meat products. November 19, 2007 U.S. Farmers Put Loss from Japan Beef Import Curb at 8 Billlion Japan's restrictions on imports of American beef have cost an estimated 8 billion dollars in lost revenue for the U.S. livestock industry over the past four years, a senior official of the largest U.S. cattle farmers' organization said Thursday. November 19, 2007 Philippines Allows Full Market Access for U.S. Beef The U.S. Department of Agriculture
issued the following press release: November 16, 2007 U.S. Beef Exporters Call for Reforms in South Korean Trade Agreements American beef exporters on Thursday lamented billions of U.S. dollars in losses from a restricted South Korean market and called on the two governments to rectify inspection standards. November 14, 2007 Farmers Object to Loosening Restrictions on Canadian Beef Imports Nearly four years after a Canadian-born cow turned up in the Yakima Valley with mad-cow disease, the federal government plans to loosen restrictions on imports of beef across the Canadian border. November 2, 2007 U.S. Report Predicts Increased Beef Exports to South Korea South Korea is expected to import some 30,000 more tons of American beef this year for a total of 280,000 tons, despite lingering problems over inspections and restrictions, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture reports. October 31, 2007 Bush Seen to Urge Japan to Lift Beef Import Restrictions U.S. President George W. Bush is seen to urge Japan afresh to lift its restrictions on U.S. beef imports when he meets with Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda possibly next month, acting Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner indicated Monday. October 31, 2007 U.S. Report Predicts Increased Beef Exports to South Korea South Korea is expected to import some 30,000 more tons of American beef this year for a total of 280,000 tons, despite lingering problems over inspections and restrictions, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture reports. October 22, 2007 Rep. Cubin Continues to Fight for Safe Beef In an ongoing effort to protect the United States cattle industry and keep American beef safe for consumers, U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin (R-WY) is urging the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to halt a recent ruling which would allow for the importation of unsafe Canadian cattle. October 8, 2007 American Legislators Trying to Block Older Canadian Cows American legislators introduced two resolutions this week in a bid to block older Canadian cattle and beef products from crossing the border again in November. Several legislators from both parties in the Senate and House of Representatives said Canada's cows will taint the reputation of American beef and erode the confidence of U.S. trading partners. September 21, 2007 U.S. Rule on Beef 'Good News'; Minister Says Open Border Clears Industry 'Stigma' Canada's agriculture minister says last week's decision by Washington to open the border to Canadian beef imports is good news for an industry plagued by the costly stigma of mad cow disease. September 14, 2007 USDA Harmonizes Cattle Trade with Canada in Line with International Animal Health Standards The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced that it will expand the list of allowable imports from countries recognized as presenting a minimal risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) into the United States. Currently, Canada is the only minimal-risk country designated by the United States. August 24, 2007 S. Korea to Lift Effective Ban on U.S. Beef Imports Monday South Korea on Friday announced a plan to resume quarantine checks on U.S. beef on Monday, lifting its effective ban imposed on U.S. beef imports since Aug. 1. August 9, 2007 Japan, Canada Mull Japanese Restrictions on Canadian Beef Imports Japan and Canada held an expert meeting Wednesday to discuss Japanese restrictions on imports of Canadian beef, the agriculture and health ministries said. August 6, 2007 Japan Decides to Take Steps to Ease Age Limit on U.S. Beef Imports Japan will go ahead with necessary measures to ease its age limit on U.S. beef imports, government officials said Friday after the two countries ended their two-day working-level talks in Tokyo. August 2, 2007 Banned Risk Material Found in U.S. Beef Shipment to South Korea Halts Inspections South Korea said on Wednesday it has suspended all quarantine inspections on U.S. beef imports due to the discovery of bone fragments in a recent shipment of a box of beef. July 27, 2007 Feed Contamination Likely Cause of Canada’s 10th BSE Case The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said this week that Canada’s tenth Mad Cow Disease (BSE) is directly linked to contaminated feed. Last May a 66 month-old dairy cow from British Columbia fell ill from BSE and was destroyed. The CFIA's investigation has since linked the animal’s food to product processed at a feed mill which regularly received protein from four rendering plants, including one that had been identified in previous BSE cases. July 26, 2007 Lambert, Crowder China Trip Aimed at Opening China Beef Market USDA Deputy Undersecretary Charles Lambert and now-U.S. government consultant Richard Crowder are meeting with Chinese officials of the Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) in August in an effort to reopen the Chinese beef market to U.S. exports, according to government sources. July 13, 2007 CFIA: Canada's New Animal Feed Regulations Come Into Force The Honorable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister responsible for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), announced that effective today, certain cattle tissues that are capable of transmitting BSE, known as specified risk material (SRM), are banned from all animal feed, pet food and fertilizer. July 12, 2007 FSIS Publishes Final Rule Prohibiting Processing of 'Downer' Cattle The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced a permanent prohibition on the slaughter of cattle that are unable to stand or walk ("downer" cattle) when presented for pre-slaughter inspection. The inability to stand or walk can be a clinical sign of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). July 12, 2007 Canada and Manitoba Commit $17.2 Million to Help Beef Industry Implement Enhanced Feed Ban The Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba are investing $17.2 million in the province's beef industry to help accelerate the elimination of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) from Canada's cattle herds. July 10, 2007 Japan Group Asks U.S. Congress for Tighter Measures against BSE A group of Japanese Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease victims and their lawyers on Monday asked the U.S. Congress to help tighten oversight of American beef exports to Japan and nip the outbreak of mad cow disease in the bud. [See related story] July 06, 2007 U.S. Tries to Confirm Chinese Promises on Boneless Beef
U.S. agriculture trade officials are seeking written confirmation of an
oral offer made by China to open its market to U.S. bone-in beef as well
as boneless beef from cattle younger than 30 months old, according to U.S.
industry representatives. July 02, 2007 COA Asks OIE to Review Taiwan's Mad Cow Disease Risk Classification The Council of Agriculture (COA) has asked the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) to review its stringent categorization of Taiwan as a country with "effective controlled risk" for mad cow disease, an official said Thursday. July 02, 2007 Johanns Cites Progress in U.S.-Japan Beef Talks Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on Friday cited "a sign of progress" in recent talks among U.S. and Japanese experts on a possible easing of Japan's import restrictions on U.S. beef. June 25, 2007 Taiwan Partially Lifts Ban on Canada Beef Imports Taiwan has partially lifted a four-year-old ban on Canadian beef imports, an official here said Sunday, despite lingering concern over the threat of mad cow disease. June 22, 2007 Japan to Hold Talks on Relaxing of U.S. Beef Imports Restriction Japan is expected to begin negotiations with the United States as early as next week to ease its restrictions on beef imports, farm ministry officials said Thursday. June 15, 2007 Japan Clears Tyson to Ship Beef Again A Tyson Foods Inc. plant involved in a February trade flap won approval to resume beef shipments to Japan, Tyson officials said Wednesday. Due to the favorable audit at Tyson's Lexington, Neb., plant - and 27 others across the United States - Tokyo said it would stop inspecting all beef imports and return to a sampling system, provided U.S. producers obey its strict age restrictions. June 15, 2007 U.S. to Be 'Patient' with Japan over Beef Trade: Johanns The United States will be "patient" with Japan in its effort to
completely pry open Japan's beef market, Agriculture Secretary Mike
Johanns said Thursday. June 13, 2007 Japan Finds No Problems at U.S. Meat-Packing Plants Japanese inspectors found no problems at U.S. meat-packing plants in May when they checked whether the plants were processing beef safely for export to Japan in compliance with a bilateral agreement, the government said Wednesday. May 31, 2007 U.S. Seeking to Appeal BSE Testing Ruling The Bush Administration announced it intends to fight a ruling initially set to take effect June 1, that would allow meatpackers to test all their animals for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease. May 30, 2007 S. Korea's Quarantine Service Finds Ribs in U.S. Beef Shipment South Korea's quarantine service said Wednesday it has found two boxes
of U.S. beef ribs, which cannot be brought into the country under current
import rules, in a shipment of American beef. May 23, 2007 Japan Rules Out Immediate Relaxation of U.S. Beef Import Terms The government's top spokesman ruled out Wednesday an immediate relaxation of Japan's terms for the import of U.S. beef following a decision by the World Organization for Animal Health to allow the United States to export beef irrespective of cattle age. May 23, 2007 OIE Grants U.S. Favorable BSE Risk Status The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) on Tuesday unanimously voted to grant the United States the formal classification as a controlled risk country for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) or mad cow disease. May 18, 2007 Japan Suspends Beef Imports from U.S. Meatpacking Plant Japan on Friday slapped a temporary ban on beef imports from a U.S. meatpacking plant as recent shipments from the plant included meat that may have been taken from cattle aged more than 20 months in violation of a bilateral beef trade agreement, the agriculture and health ministries said. May 3, 2007 Canada Confirms 10th BSE Case Late Wednesday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced it has confirmed another case of mad cow disease in a 5½ year old dairy cow in British Columbia. This marks Canada’s tenth case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, since 2003. April 27, 2007: U.S. Beef Shipment from Creekstone Farms Clears S. Korean Quarantine Inspection South Korea's quarantine service said Friday it found no problems with 6.4 tons of U.S. beef that arrived here earlier in the week. The National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service said each of the 449 boxes were X-rayed, but no bone chips were found. The shipment, which arrived at Incheon International Airport on Monday, is the first to pass customs inspection since South Korea banned American beef in late 2003 after a case of mad cow disease was reported. April 26, 2007: Reimport of US Beef With the resumption of U.S. beef imports on Monday, Korean beefeaters will soon be able to taste the American product after a three-and-a-half-year hiatus. April 24, 2007: U.S. to Allow Japan to Inspect Meat Plants In a move to expand beef trade with Japan, the United States yesterday agreed to Japan’s request to inspect U.S. beef plants, Japanese and U.S. officials announced. In return, Japan agreed that if its inspectors find no problems at U.S. meatpacking plants, it will discontinue its requirement of inspecting 100 percent of the boxes of beef shipped from U.S. plants. April 23, 2007: S Korea Accepts US Beef after Overturning Ban South Korea has received its first shipment of beef from the United States since the two countries became involved in a bitter dispute over trade restrictions last year. April 11, 2007: Mad Cow: Is America Next? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced in March it was reducing its national Mad Cow testing and tracking programs by 90 percent. The USDA will reduce its cattle-testing level to 40,000 cattle per year down from an average of about 360,000 cattle. The reduced testing level will cost $8 million a year. USDA said it will focus on the "most at-risk animals" that show demonstrated signs of the disease. [See related story] March 30, 2007: Judge Allows Private Testing for Mad Cow The federal government must allow meatpackers to test their animals for mad cow disease, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Kansas meatpacker Creekstone Farms Premium Beef wants to test all of its cows for the disease, which can be fatal to humans who eat tainted beef. Larger meat companies feared that move because if Creekstone tested its meat and advertised it as safe, they could be forced to do the expensive test, too. March 28, 2007: Feed Blamed as Cause for Canada’s 9th BSE Case According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the country’s ninth case of BSE, announced in February, was most likely caused by suspect feed. March 20, 2007: S. Korea Wants Full Check of US Beef Safety Before Mkt Opening South Korea stressed Tuesday that there is a need to conduct a thorough examination of mad cow disease risks in U.S. beef before the full resumption of its imports. [See related story] March 14, 2007: S. Korean Gov't to Examine Mad Cow Risk Assessment Findings The government said Tuesday that local experts will thoroughly examine the mad cow risk assessment findings made by the global animal health body that could compel South Korea to further open its market to U.S. beef. [See related story] February 09, 2007: Canada Reports First Mad Cow Case of the Year Canada has confirmed its first case of mad cow disease of the year in a mature bull from western Alberta province, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said late Wednesday. 2006 December 6, 2006: USDA Secretary Johanns Responds to South Korea’s Refusal of Trade USDA Secretary Michael Johanns issued a statement today regarding the rejection of U.S. beef shipments by South Korea. Johanns expressed his disappointment in South Korea’s decision to reject the shipments, proclaimed the validity of the shipments’ safety, stated the act as an unacceptable method of trading, and concluded the actions as designated to restrict beef trade. December 4, 2006: South Korean Beef Bans Anger U.S. Friday’s rejection of a second beef shipment by South Korea has angered US government officials, beef packers and producers. South Korea’s finding of three bone fragments in a shipment of meat from Premium Protein Products, in Hastings Nebraska prompted the country to suspend imports from that plant, just a week after the country banned imports from the Kansas–based Creekstone Farms. November 30, 2006: Japan Has Conducted Snap Inspections of U.S. Beef Facilities Japanese officials have conducted surprise inspections of U.S. meatpacking plants that were authorized to export beef to Japan after the country lifted its ban on U.S. beef imports imposed because of the fear of mad cow disease, farm minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka said Thursday. November 15, 2006: Johanns Pushing Japan To Drop Cattle Age Limit U.S. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns may press Japan to drop the age limit on imports of U.S. beef, hardening the call to raise the limit to 30 months from the current 20 months, according to The Japan Times Online. Johanns' remarks underscore what appears to be a strategy of urging Japan to adopt U.S. standards for safeguarding against BSE. U.S. standards require removal of brains, spinals cords, bones and other specified risk materials (SRMs) from cattle aged 30 months or older to safeguard against BSE. November 8, 2006: Creekstone Answers USDA in Court Over Mad Cow Testing Creekstone Farms Premium Beef has answered the U.S. Department of Agriculture's court documents opposing the company's motion for summary judgment in its lawsuit against USDA. November 6, 2006: U.S. to Press Japan to Remove Age Limit on Beef Imports: Johanns U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said Friday the United States will press Japan to remove the age limit on imports of U.S. beef, hardening its demand from an earlier call for raising the limit to 30 months from the current 20 months. September 8, 2006: South Korea Lifts Beef Ban South Korea today announced it has lifted its ban on U.S. beef, and will resume the importation of product from cattle less than 30 months of age. August 24, 2006: Canada Confirms Eighth BSE Case The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) yesterday confirmed Canada's eighth case of BSE, or mad cow disease. A mature beef cow from Alberta, estimated to be eight to ten years of age, was identified through the national surveillance program. It has first tested inconclusive and a second test was sent to the federal lab which confirmed the disease. July 27, 2006: Yes We’re Open! Japan Resumes Beef Imports Today, Japan formerly agreed to restart beef imports from the U.S. which have been suspended for the past six months. July 20, 2006: USDA Announces New BSE Surveillance Program Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will soon begin transitioning to an ongoing Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) surveillance program that corresponds to the extremely low prevalence of the disease in the U.S. July 19, 2006: U.S. Assists Canada in Mad Cow Probe The USA is joining Canada's investigation into its most recent occurrence of mad cow disease, a case troubling to officials in both countries because of the youth of the infected animal. July 14, 2006: 7th Canada Cow Confirmed with BSE Yesterday the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed a 7th case of mad cow disease in a 50-month-old dairy cow from Alberta. July 5, 2006: Canada Confirms Sixth Case of Mad Cow Late yesterday afternoon, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed a case of mad cow disease, Canada’s sixth case since 2003. July 3, 2006: China Lifts Ban on US Beef Imports China resumed beef imports from the United States on Thursday, ending a two-and-a-half-year ban prompted by fears of mad cow disease. June 27, 2006: Canada Tightens Feed Rules to Fight Mad Cow Disease In a bid to crack down further on potential ways of spreading mad cow disease, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is tightening rules on cattle tissues by banning them from being used in pet foods, chicken feed and fertilizers. June 21, 2006: Feed Recalled Over Mad Cow Violation Livestock feed ingredients shipped to nine states may have been contaminated with cattle remains in violation of a 1997 ban to protect against mad cow disease, a manufacturer said Tuesday. [See related story] June 21, 2006: U.S./Japan in Agreement---Beef Imports to Resume U.S. and Japanese government officials came to an agreement today on reopening Japan’s market to U.S. beef which has been closed for nearly five months due to concerns about mad cow disease. June 12, 2006: U.S. Mad Cow Cases are 'Atypical' The USDA says that the two U.S. cases of mad-cow disease were from an atypical strain that could appear spontaneously in cattle. May 19, 2006: US Confident Japan Will Reopen Its Market to US Beef Soon The US voiced optimism that Japan will decide next month to resume imports of US beef, banned because of fears here of mad cow disease. May 17, 2006: Japan, US Hold New Beef Talks Japan and the United States Wednesday launched new talks
on US calls for Tokyo to resume importing American beef, which is banned
due to fears of mad cow disease. May 8, 2006: Pressure Grows to Lift U.S. Beef Ban Calls from government officials to resume beef imports from the United States have been growing as Tokyo and Washington are set to hold negotiations on the issue later this month, with many officials advocating an end to the ban even before the safety of U.S. meat processing facilities is confirmed. May 4, 2006: USDA Concludes Alabama Cow BSE Investigation The investigations conducted by APHIS and the FDA regarding an Alabama cow that tested positive for BSE in March are completed with no revelation as to its herd of origin. April 28, 2006: USDA Releases BSE Prevalence Estimate for U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced USDA's estimate of the prevalence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in the United States. April 26, 2006: South Korea Likely to Resume Imports of US Beef in June South Korea is likely to resume imports of U.S. beef in June as its probe into a cow infected with mad cow disease in America showed that the cattle was confirmed to have been born before April 1998, the country's Agriculture Ministry said Wednesday. April 19, 2006: S. Korea Sends Experts to U.S. to Verify Age of BSE-Infected Cow The South Korean government said Wednesday it sent a fact-finding team to the United States to verify the age of a cow that was confirmed to have contracted mad cow disease, in a move to help determine whether to resume U.S. beef imports. April 17, 2006: South Korea to decide on US beef imports by June The United States has failed to provide the date of birth of a cow linked to a third case of mad cow disease on its shores, a matter that could jeopardize Seoul's resumption of American beef imports, the government said Wednesday. April 05, 2006: S. Korea May Halt Efforts to Resume U.S. Beef Imports The United States has failed to provide the date of birth of a cow linked to a third case of mad cow disease on its shores, a matter that could jeopardize Seoul's resumption of American beef imports, the government said Wednesday. March 30, 2006: Johanns Updates Cattlemen on BSE, Animal ID, Trade Issues U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns addressed members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) March 29 on several issues critical to the beef industry. The delegation of about 400 cattle producers has gathered in the nation’s capital this week for the NCBA Spring Legislative Conference. March 28, 2006: Japan, US Hold Fresh Talks on US Beef Ban Japan and the United States opened fresh talks Tuesday on the ban here on US beef as Tokyo comes under intense pressure to resume imports stopped twice over mad cow disease fears. March 21, 2006: Japan Rejects US Calls to End Beef Ban Immediately Japan rejected a US call for the immediate resumption of US beef imports, saying Japanese consumers will not buy the meat unless Washington clears concerns over mad cow disease. March 16, 2006: Second Test Confirms US Mad Cow Case The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said late Wednesday that a second test on an Alabama cow had confirmed the presence of mad cow disease in the animal, which has been killed and buried. March 15, 2006: Third U.S. Mad Cow Case Shows Controls are Working The discovery of a third US case of mad cow disease shows progress, not laxity, in controlling the international problem, Canada's Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl said Tuesday. March 14, 2006: South Korea Rethinks US Beef Import Ban After New US Mad Cow Case South Korea said Tuesday it might rethink a decision to resume US beef imports after the United States confirmed a third mad cow case. March 13, 2006: Alabama Cow Tests Positive for Mad Cow The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed today that an Alabama cow has tested positive for mad cow disease. Possible Mad Cow Case Found On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a possible new case of mad cow disease. February 3, 2006: USDA auditors unsure of mad cow safeguard compliance
U.S. Department of Agriculture auditors were unable to determine whether
slaughterhouses and meat packers complied with rules to safeguard
consumers from mad cow disease, the USDA inspector general said in a
report Thursday. January 24, 2006: USDA sees no border ban as Canada probes BSE case After meeting with his Canadian counterpart yesterday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said he does not anticipate any change in the status of live cattle trade with Canada after its latest case of mad cow disease. January 20, 2006: USDA responds to new Japan beef ban U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns said his department was conducting “a thorough investigation” of the beef shipment that prompted Japan to once again ban all U.S. beef imports today. 2005 December 12, 2005: Japan opens to U.S. beef Japan has opened its market to U.S. beef imports, U.S.
Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns announced today. Japan had been the
largest buyer of U.S. beef before it closed its borders in 2003 over mad
cow disease fears. December 8, 2005: Japanese food safety panel declares U.S. beef safe A major hurdle between the United States and Japan in
the ongoing battle over the safety of U.S. beef has finally been cleared.
A Japanese food safety panel approved the lifting of the two-year ban,
citing the belief that there is minimal risk of BSE in imported beef. October 5, 2005: FDA proposes new mad-cow feed ban rules The Food and Drug Administration took steps to tighten
the primary firewall against the spread of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy in the U.S. with a new set of proposed regulations for its
ruminant feed ban.
August 15, 2005: Over 1,000 BSE-safety violations found After a
FOIA request from consumers groups, the USDA releases documents confirming
1,036 meatpacking plant violations of the SRM-removal rules put in place in January 2004.
August 3, 2005: USDA says suspect BSE case negative Additional IHC tests in Ames and Weybridge have been ruled negative.
The more sensitive Western blot test was unable to be conducted on the
sample. July 27, 2005: New U.S. mad cow case likely after reactive IHC test The USDA
announces a possible third U.S. case of mad cow disease.
A domestic animal at least 12 years old tested reactive for BSE via the
USDA's "gold-standard" IHC test on July 26 after being sampled in April. The
USDA calls the case "non-definitive" after the reactive sample until
confirmatory results are available.
July 25, 2005: Ninth Circuit issues written opinion
The Ninth
Circuit Court of Appeals issues its written opinion in the reversal of
Judge Cebull's injunction. July 20, 2005: R-CALF hearing postponed
The hearing
scheduled July 27 in U.S. District Court in Billings, Mont. for R-CALF's
lawsuit against the USDA is postponed by Judge Richard Cebull pending his
review of the appeals court's as-yet-not filed written opinion. July 18, 2005: Cattle crossing border Live cattle from Canada begin crossing the U.S. border around noon Eastern time. July 14, 2005: Appeals court reverses injunction June 29, 2005: USDA confirms mad cow was from Texas
June 27, 2005: June 25, 2005: Taiwan bans U.S. beef just two months after lifting its previous ban.
June 24, 2005:
June 17, 2005: BSE suspect sample leaves for England June 10, 2005: U.S. BSE case possible after positive test result The USDA announces a positive test result on what could be the second case of BSE in the U.S. The sample tested positive in the most sophisticated method available, the Western blot test, after being cleared of BSE by the USDA's two immunohistochemistry test in November. May 9, 2005: R-CALF files motion to ban Canadian beef R-CALF files a motion asking the district court to consider banning Canadian beef as well as Canadian cattle at July 27 hearing. March 21, 2005:
A federal judge from Montana, Richard Cebull, has announced a date (July 27, 2005) for the start of a hearing to determine if a permanent injunction should be granted to keep the Canadian border closed to imports of Canadian cattle. March 17, 2005: USDA appeals border injunction The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, files a request with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit asking that the court overturn the decision issued by the U.S. District Court in Montana that granted a preliminary injunction to delay the implementation of USDA's minimal-risk regions rule, which would re-establish trade with Canada for beef products and live cattle under 30 months of age. March 7, 2005: Border does not open Trade has not resumed after a U.S. District Court injunction and a U.S. Senate resolution both ordered the border remain closed. Only the court injunction is powering the delay, as the largely symbolic Senate resolution would have to be passed by the House and signed by President Bush to take effect, and the president has vowed a veto if it crosses his desk. March 3, 2005: Senate disapproves of USDA rule United States Senate disapproves the rule submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish minimal risk regions and resume trade in Canadian beef and cattle under 30 months of age. March 2, 2005: Border will remain closed as R-CALF wins injunction A federal judge grants an injunction to delay the March 7th opening of the U.S. border to Canadian live cattle under 30 months of age. [See
Foodmarket news story] February 22, 2005: U.S. border is expected to re-open on March 7 to Canadian feeder and fed cattle 30 months and under and Canadian boneless and bone-in beef from cattle 30 months and under. [See
USDA: APHIS implementation rule, PDF]
February 9, 2005:
January 11, 2005: Canada announces another case of BSE. This case drew considerable media attention as it marked the first infected animal in North America born after the 1997 ruminant feed ban. The two Canadian BSE cases have cast doubts about the effectiveness of the Canadian feed ban and have added to the already controversial issue of the border opening which will take effect March 7 pending the outcome of legal challenges. January 4, 2005:
USDA publishes "final rule" [See USDA final rule, PDF, 316 pp] January 3, 2005: Canada confirms BSE case Canada confirmed its second BSE case, its first since May 2003. This created some debate about the border opening date, but no official changes were made. 2004 December 29, 2004: USDA to open border to Canadian cattle
The USDA announced its "final rule" classifying
Canada as a "minimal-risk" BSE region and setting March 7, 2005, as the
date to open the U.S. border. November 24, 2004: USDA rules sample negative The inconclusive sample was confirmed negative by the USDA.
[See Foodmarket news story] November 18, 2004: USDA finds "inconclusive" BSE case The USDA announces it found an "inconclusive" test result for BSE in the U.S. The sample was the nation's first since the two original cases under the expanded testing program in June which later tested negative for BSE. This case, however, was the first sample to ever test non-negative in a double-rapid test; the June results had failed single screenings only. Market uncertainty lingered over the next six days as the sample was sent for the "gold-standard" immunohistochemistry test in Ames, Iowa. Reports indicated that the sample had a 95% chance of testing positive after failing two rapid tests. August 4, 2004: APHIS changes BSE announcement protocol The USDA changes policy and will only announce double-positive rapid test results. July 2004: Tokyo considers dropping blanket requirement Japanese officials announce that Tokyo is considering dropping the blanket BSE requirement which had barred U.S. imports. In 2003, the U.S. shipped 920 million pounds of beef to Japan while exports thereto in 2004 to date remain at zero. Trade has yet to be established. June 25-26, 2004: USDA announces two "inconclusive" BSE cases The USDA announced its first and second inconclusive BSE rapid test results. Although both cases were later found to be negative, the announcements of the inconclusive samples created heavy uncertainty in the marketplace. Buyers and sellers in both the cattle and beef markets were reluctant to secure volume as market implications were unclear. June 1, 2004: USDA expands voluntary BSE test program The USDA implements its expanded program of voluntary rapid BSE testing. The new tests are designed to detect BSE in cases as rare as one infected cattle in a million. Rapid test results that are not immediately negative are classified as "inconclusive results," and by protocol are publicly announced and sent for further testing. April 23, 2004: Update on border imports The U.S. now accepts boneless beef and live cattle for immediate slaughter from Canada while the prohibition on feeder cattle imports remains. Canadian imports of bone-in product were allowed briefly in April, but the U.S. judicial system issued an injunction shortly thereafter against accepting bone-in imports from Canada. March 2004: Beef trade resumes with Mexico
Beef trade resumes with Mexico in early March as the
country allows U.S. boneless beef coming from cattle under 30 months of
age to cross the border. However, other trading partners still restrict
U.S. exports including our biggest foreign markets in the Pacific Rim.
U.S. Beef and Veal exports totaled 6.5 million pounds in January 2004
versus 196.2 one year ago. 2003 December 23, 2003: U.S. finds first BSE case The first U.S. case of BSE is discovered in Washington state. The animal was from a farm in Alberta, Canada. Initial consumer reaction to the BSE news was minimal despite the extensive publicity in mass media. A more significant impact was immediately evident in the cattle market when CME live cattle futures plummeted and cash prices followed. Another important effect of the discovery of BSE was the closure of over 30 export markets to U.S. beef including Mexico (28%), Japan (27%) and South Korea (19%) which were, at the time, the top three importers of American beef by volume, buying nearly three-quarters of the meat exported. As a whole, the U.S. had exported about 10% of its production annually. August 2003: Border reopens to Canadian beef The U.S. border was reopens to Canadian beef. This process was somewhat lengthy, as the USDA required domestic buyers to file for permits to import Canadian beef. As the border re-opened, some felt that competition would increase with cheaper alternatives crossing the border. The border still remains closed to Canadian live cattle. June 12, 2003: Japan wants BSE assurance Japan requested assurances that U.S. exports to its country were not slaughtered from Canadian cattle. With no cattle trace-back system in place, the U.S. could not meet the deadline; however, Japan agreed to extend this deadline to the beginning of September. This decision was eventually resolved without incident but did create some uncertainty in the day-to-day operations. May 20, 2003: Canada finds native BSE case A single cow in Canada tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease. This prompted the U.S. to close the border to ruminant and ruminant product. The loss of Canadian cattle and beef exports coincided with the beginning of the summer grilling season and resulted in sharp price advances on domestic cattle and beef prices.
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