Asia PacificResearch slowed BSE decisionThe Food Safety Commission's delay in...

Asia Pacific

Research slowed BSE decision
The Food Safety Commission's delay in reaching a broad agreement to approve the relaxation of rules requiring blanket tests on cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy can largely be attributed to the difficulty of exploring a wide range of issues related to the nation's system of testing for the disease.

Trade opens
Australia signs a live animal export memorandum of understanding with Kuwait.

Europe

Food chiefs 'Acted Properly' over BSE breach
Food safety chiefs acted “entirely properly” in not telling the public that beef possibly contaminated with BSE had entered the food chain.

Americas

Canada cattle group seeks action via NAFTA: 
A group called Canadian Cattlemen for Fair Trade (CCFT) has served the first five of over 100 Notices of Arbitration under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), taking the steps in response to the continued closure of the U.S. border to Canadian live cattle.

USA

Johanns announces official USDA rust surveillance site
As part of the strategic plan USDA implemented in 2002 in anticipation of finding soybean rust in the U.S., USDA Tuesday launched its one-stop Soybean Rust Website.

Oscar Meyer, Swift Assets Pique Tyson's Interest
Tyson Foods Inc.'s top executive said on Wednesday he would be interested in acquiring certain plants from rival Swift & Co., but downplayed the likelihood of buying the whole company.

New U.S. BSE plan by June
A new government surveillance plan for mad cow disease will be crafted by June following the completion of a pilot program that has produced no positive results for the animal brain-wasting disease, Department of Agriculture officials said on Wednesday.

Beefing up trade
USDA is continuing to encourage governments to resume imports of U.S. beef products.

Asia Pacific

Research slowed BSE decision
The Food Safety Commission's delay in reaching a broad agreement to approve the relaxation of rules requiring blanket tests on cattle for bovine spongiform encephalopathy can largely be attributed to the difficulty of exploring a wide range of issues related to the nation's system of testing for the disease.

Trade opens
Australia signs a live animal export memorandum of understanding with Kuwait.

Europe

Food chiefs 'Acted Properly' over BSE breach
Food safety chiefs acted “entirely properly” in not telling the public that beef possibly contaminated with BSE had entered the food chain.

Americas

Canada cattle group seeks action via NAFTA: 
A group called Canadian Cattlemen for Fair Trade (CCFT) has served the first five of over 100 Notices of Arbitration under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), taking the steps in response to the continued closure of the U.S. border to Canadian live cattle.

USA

Johanns announces official USDA rust surveillance site
As part of the strategic plan USDA implemented in 2002 in anticipation of finding soybean rust in the U.S., USDA Tuesday launched its one-stop Soybean Rust Website.

Oscar Meyer, Swift Assets Pique Tyson's Interest
Tyson Foods Inc.'s top executive said on Wednesday he would be interested in acquiring certain plants from rival Swift & Co., but downplayed the likelihood of buying the whole company.

New U.S. BSE plan by June
A new government surveillance plan for mad cow disease will be crafted by June following the completion of a pilot program that has produced no positive results for the animal brain-wasting disease, Department of Agriculture officials said on Wednesday.

Beefing up trade
USDA is continuing to encourage governments to resume imports of U.S. beef products.