MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile in select group of eleven countries with insignificant mad-cow risk

Agriculture Minister Marigen Hornkohl praised efforts from the government and private sectors

Beginning Tuesday Chile belongs to the select group of eleven countries who have insignificant risk of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. This places Chile among the nations with the best sanitary conditions on the planet.

“This recognition allows us to broaden and improve access to meat exports and to bovine sub-products which our country offers to the most discerning markets on the continent”, explained Agriculture Minister Marigen Hornkohl.

The secretary of state acknowledged that this achievement is a result of the work of the Agriculture and Livestock Service (SAG) and the private sector, since they established regulations and preventative measures since the very moment the disease was made known to the world.

The recognition was announced by the European Union, “one of our main partners in agriculture and forestry trade and is in line with what had been anticipated and acknowledged by the Paris-based World Organization of Animal Health, OIE last May”, said Chilean ambassador before the EU Carlos Appelgren Balboltin.

This represents a special satisfaction since it comes from “a market and consumers among the most demanding in the world. This means Chile is working correctly, is doing the right things, at government level and at private level. Chile delivers trust, confidence and excellent quality produce to the world”, he added.

According to the rules there are three BSE risk-categories: insignificant, controlled and undetermined.

Chile has now joined the (insignificant risk) select group made up of Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Paraguay, Singapore and Uruguay.

Meanwhile Colombia and Japan climbed one step from undetermined to controlled risk.