The Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) has called on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to stress to authorities in China the “special circumstances” of Ireland’s detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
The department confirmed yesterday (Tuesday, November 7) that beef exports to China have been suspended after tests confirmed a case of atypical BSE.
The department said that “tests carried out at the department’s Central Veterinary Research Laboratory confirmed a case of atypical BSE on November 3”.
According to the department, the animal in question was a 10-and-a-half-year-old cow and was identified during the department’s on-going systematic surveillance of fallen animals at knackeries.
“The animal did not enter the food or feed chain and there are no public health risks associated with this occurrence,” the department said.
Atypical BSE is a rare spontaneous event that may occur in any bovine population. It is not related to feed contamination.
Atypical BSE is not a condition which is notifiable to the WOAH. The identification of this atypical BSE case does not affect Ireland’s negligible risk status for BSE.
Despite this, exports of beef to China are now temporarily suspended, and the timeframe for resumption of exports “is a matter for the Chinese authorities”, the department said.
Reacting to this development, the ICMSA has said the situation is “disappointing”, and that the detection and subsequent actions “actually vindicated the safety of the Irish food supply chain, which is the most stringent to be found anywhere”.
“Obviously, we are concerned about this and while we can take satisfaction in the way the problem was detected and flagged, it’s another interruption into a trade that’s been stop-and-start for several years,” ICMSA president Pat McCormack said.
“We want and need that beef trade to China and it’s up to the department to stress to the Chinese the special circumstances around this specific case and the age of the animal concerned,” he added.
“The idea that this could drag out into another two year ban…is unnecessary and is really hindering the momentum that we want to develop, where Chinese buyers and customers will automatically look for us, trusting in our quality,” the ICMSA president said.
Beef shipments from Ireland to China had only resumed again earlier this year, in January, after they had previously been suspended in May 2020 following the confirmation by DAFM of an isolated case of atypical BSE at the time.
Between January and now, Ireland had access to the Chinese market for the export of frozen boneless beef from animals under 30 months-of-age.