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NZFSA updates BSE importing requirements

28 February 2007

New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has moved to modernise the food safety importing requirements for beef and beef products in light of the new science and practical knowledge that now surrounds bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

The changes reflect recent findings from the growing body of science that more accurately identifies the risks and measures required to protect consumers from variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) the human disease which has been linked to eating beef offal containing the BSE agent.

“The old measures, in place since 1996 and adopted internationally as well as by New Zealand, reflected a precautionary approach which was taken during a time of uncertainty,” explains Tim Knox, NZFSA’s New Zealand Standards Director.

“However, in the intervening years much has been learned about BSE and the risks to human health which has increased our understanding and virtually eliminated the risk of consumers contacting vCJD.“

The new measures have undergone a comprehensive process of review and expert consideration to ensure they are consistent with scientific evidence and the emerging international standards. As a result New Zealand will

• move to an internationally agreed three-category system for categorising the BSE risk status of those countries exporting beef and or beef-related products to New Zealand.

• adopt international risk assessments rather than conducting its own

• exclude offal that has been identified as BSE risk material from any country with a residual risk of BSE

• exempt processed foods that contain minimal bovine ingredients from those commodities that are covered by the measure

• adopt a consistent framework for determining the acceptability of imported products and the need for any certification

• remove age restrictions on the source of commodities and not specify measures to provide for traceability

• allow all gelatine to be traded freely, regardless of the source raw material and exporting country’s BSE risk status.

Gelatine derived from bones was originally considered a risk because of fears that it could contain the BSE prion.

However recent studies have confirmed that chemical processes used in its manufacture are sufficient to inactivate any BSE infectivity that may have been present in the raw material, even under worst-case conditions.

“Gelatine produced by modern industrial processes does not pose a BSE risk to consumers, regardless of the raw material from which it is produced and the source country from which it is derived,” explains Mr Knox.

The new requirements will come into effect on 29 June 2007 although gelatine will be freely traded before then.

Strict controls have been in place for beef products around the world since 1996 when vCJD was linked to eating beef products contaminated with offal that had come from cattle with BSE in the 1980s. However, since that time, changes to production rules (such as not feeding ruminant material to ruminants and removing the parts of the animal from the food chain that could contain the BSE agent) has dramatically reduced the incidence of BSE.

The new requirements are not related to New Zealand’s domestic animal health measures regarding BSE and will not override current animal health requirements, such as the ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban.

New Zealand has been classified as BSE-free by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and is regarded by the European Food Safety Authority as a country in which BSE is “highly unlikely” to be present.

Ends

For further information contact Diane Robinson, Senior Communications Advisor: 029 894 2528.

For further comment contact: Tim Knox, Director, NZFSA Food Standards Group: 029 894 2651.