Export fears mad cow disease here to stay
Monday, 11/07/2005
A world veterinary expert on mad cow disease says it is impossible to eradicate because too many countries will not implement proper bans on meat and the bone meal trade.
Dr Danny Matthews from Britain's top bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) laboratory is addressing the Global Livestock Feed and Food Congress, which begins in Brazil today.
He says commercial considerations are outweighing sensible decision making.
"Inevitably, there's a reluctance in most countries that have not yet recognised BSE to put in place very rigorous controls because of the cost to their country and to their industry," he said.
"It's all very well saying, 'well we have banned the importation of meat and bone meal from a particular country', but if you purchase meat and bone meal from another country and feed it to cattle, how do you know that the bone meal you're buying actually came from that country of origin?"