Mad Cow Disease prevented by AVA

11 Sep 2001

Japan: Mad Cow Disease The Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has suspended the import of beef from Japan with immediate effect. This is in response to the report that Japan may have found its first case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE, or Mad Cow Disease) in a local dairy cow there. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) is a slowly progressive disorder of the central nervous system. The affected animals show behavioural changes (eg. becoming aggressive, and unmanageable – hence the term "mad cows"), have difficulty in moving about and will finally become paralysed and die from the illness. Countries must first be accredited by AVA to export beef to Singapore. AVA first suspended the import of beef from UK in March 1996 when the link between BSE and the variant Cruetzfeldt Jakob Disease in humans was announced in the British Parliament. As a precaution, AVA also imposed an additional condition that all countries exporting beef to Singapore must certify that the country had been free from BSE for six years prior to the date of export. To date, imports of beef from UK, Belgium, France, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany and Netherlands have been suspended due to BSE. Our beef is imported from BSE Free countries such as Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and USA. Last year, Singapore imported 18,500 tonnes of beef valued at $92 million. This year only 4.95 tonnes of beef valued at $694,000 were imported from Japan. AVA would like to reassure the public that beef in Singapore is safe for consumption. AVA takes stringent precautions to prevent the introduction of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, into Singapore. Any country found to have BSE will be immediately suspended from exporting beef to Singapore. AVA will continue to closely monitor the occurrence of BSE worldwide. Should any country be found to have BSE, we will take immediate precautions by imposing an outright ban on the country. Issued by AVA 11 Sep 2001

	Last updated on 12 May 2010
	Posted by: Sandy