Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap amended an order issued in July that imposed conditions on importation of meat from these countries, such as the following:

• Bone-in beef imports from these countries should come only from cattle of less than 30 months of age.
  
• Beef, whether boneless or bone-in. should be devoid of specified risk materials.
  
• Beef, whether boneless or bone-in, should come only from healthy ambulatory and now downer cattle.
  
• The age of the slaughtered cattle should be certified by the US Department of Agriculture or the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
  
• The production date or slaughter date of the beef should be included in the packaging label.

The DA had imposed these restrictions to prevent the entry of mad cow disease into the country. The Office Internationale des Epizooties or Animal Health Organization earlier declared the United States and Canada as countries with “controlled BSE risks.”

With the lifting of the restrictions, the Philippines can now provide full market access to American and Canadian meat suppliers.

Source: Inquirer.net