Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, Chuck Strahl has welcomed the preliminary recommendation from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) that Canada be categorised as a Controlled Risk country for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). A final decision will be made at the OIE’s General Assembly meeting in May.
Commenting on the new categorisation, Mr Strahl said, “There is a high level of international confidence and respect for the effectiveness of Canada’s BSE control measures and our commitment to protecting animal and public health. This has been demonstrated by the unprecedented market recovery achieved to date. Should the preliminary categorisation be adopted, it would provide further proof, endorsed by animal health experts, that Canada has taken responsible actions to manage BSE that are internationally recognised.”
