briefs

reuters / The United States is resuming imports of blood meal from Canadian cattle for the first time in eight years, a senior Canadian government source said Sept. 27.

Trade in bovine blood meal, which is used in fertilizers and animal feeds, will be worth about $4 million per year to the Canadian beef industry, the source said.

Many importing countries banned Canadian beef and other cattle products after the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a western Canadian herd of cattle in 2003.

Most countries have since lifted those restrictions.

Bovine blood does not pose a risk for BSE, the source said, but it must be collected properly to prevent contamination with parts of the cattle (called specified risk materials) that can carry the disease.

Canadian and U.S. food regulation authorities agreed on a collection method that meets U.S. regulations, the source said.