British beef banned in the Philippines

Due to a case of classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the Philippine Department of Agriculture has ordered the suspension of imports of live cattle and beef.

The Philippine Department of Agriculture has imposed a ban on the import of live cattle and beef from the UK due to a case of classic bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease. Deliveries before a decision is communicated to the UK authorities are permitted provided that the date of slaughter and production is on or before 31 August 2021.

A case of rabies was identified on a dairy farm in Somerset, England, and was reported on 17 September. The cow was close to calving and, according to the OIE notification, the farmer noticed abnormal behavior. The animal was not sent for slaughter and did not enter the food chain, so there is no threat to food safety or human HEALTH, according to British officials. All contacts and offspring of the rabies case have been identified and placed under travel restrictions. They will be culled and tested for disease.

According to the OIE, classical spongiform encephalopathy occurs in cattle after eating prion-contaminated feed.