04/17/06 Canada defends its feed ban

American Rancher April 17, 2006 Canadian officials are not concerned that the latest possible case of BSE in their country would be the second in a row in an animal born after a ban on ruminant to ruminant feed went into effect. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced late last week it was conducting confirmatory BSE testing on a six-year old cow from British Columbia. Dr. Cornelius Kiley is Canadian Food Inspection Agency Veterinarian for the Western Area. Kiley: "We believe that with the current feed ban that absolute eradication could take a number of years. During that period detection of additional cases born after the feed ban would be expected and is consistent with international experience." Even so Kiley says Canada is moving to tighten its feed ban. Kiley: "What we are talking about here is the proposed regulatory amendments which speak to an animal to animal feed ban. Presently in Canada it is a ruminant to ruminant feed ban. The information we have based on the world experience, that if you move to an animal to animal feed ban then that could assist in completely eliminating BSE from Canada." Canadian officials say no part of six-year old dairy cow from the Fraser Valley entered the human food or animal feed system. I'm Bob Hoff.