USDA BANS ARGENTINA BEEF IMPORTS, ADJUSTS STANCE ON OTHER COUNTRIES

USDA BANS ARGENTINA BEEF IMPORTS, ADJUSTS STANCE ON OTHER COUNTRIES    The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced interim rules that prohibit the importation of fresh beef from Argentina due to the presence of foot-and-mouth disease among cattle herds in the country.
   The ban includes imports of all cured or cooked beef from Argentina under the USDA’s fresh (chilled or frozen) beef regulations.
   The interim rule is effective retroactively to Feb. 19. On March 12, the Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentario reported an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the province of Buenos Aires. It was also found in the Argentine provinces of Cordoba, La Pampa, San Luis and Santa Fe.
   The USDA also added the independent principalities of Andorra and Monaco, and the Republic of San Marino to its list of regions that present an undue risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy, so-called mad cow disease, to the United States because their import requirements are less restrictive.
   However, the USDA will hold a public meeting in Riverdale, Md., on June 19, to consider a proposal to exempt cattle imported from Australia from testing for brucellosis and tuberculosis and to exempt cattle imported from New Zealand from testing for brucellosis. To more information about the meeting, contact Dr. Andrea Morgan, associate director of USDA’s Animal Health Programs at (301) 734-8093.