Irish beef-exports will be allowed continued access to Hong Kong, despite the suspension of beef-exports to China.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has confirmed that beef-exports from Ireland to Hong Kong “are not affected” by the suspension of beef-exports to China.
According to a statement from DAFM:
“Hong Kong operates as a special administrative region with different market access rules. As such, exports to Hong Kong are not affected by the suspension of beef-exports to China.”
Ireland continued to export beef to Hong Kong following the suspension of beef-exports to China in May 2020, and can continue to do so this time also.
Suspension of Irish beef-exports to China
On Tuesday, November 7, DAFM confirmed that beef-exports to China had been suspended after tests confirmed a case of atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).
DAFM said “tests carried out at the department’s Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) confirmed a case of atypical BSE on November 3”.
According to DAFM, “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 DAFM stated.
The most recent case of ‘atypical BSE’ in Ireland was identified in 2020.
Ireland was granted the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) negligible risk status for BSE in 2021, which is the lowest risk rating available. 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.