ANZFA takes steps to safeguard food supply against effects of BSE

The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) will be examining possible amendments to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code as a means of ensuring that imported beef and beef products are free from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) - sometimes known as 'mad cow disease'.

ANZFA's Managing Director, Ian Lindenmayer, today said that such an amendment would require exporting countries to certify that their beef products are free from BSE.

ANZFA is taking this action to reinforce interim measures announced today by the Australian and New Zealand Governments.

These measures include the suspension of the importation of beef products from designated countries in Europe to prevent any possibility of any contaminated product entering the country and advice to retailers to voluntarily withdraw these products from their shelves. Import controls will take effect on Monday 8 January 2001.

'We have today written to major retail organisations asking them to identify processed beef products from Europe and to remove them from shelves as soon as possible as a precaution. I am confident that retailers will respond positively to this request,' Mr Lindenmayer said.

'This may take several days. In the meantime, we are recommending that consumers check the labels on any imported foods they have and discard corned beef, luncheon meat, frankfurters and other products which contain beef with a European country of origin.

'To assist consumers, ANZFA has produced a fact sheet which can be obtained directly from ANZFA or from its website at www.foodstandards.gov.au or www.foodstandards.govt.nz .

'Australia and New Zealand have one of the safest food supplies in the world - and the current steps are intended to keep it that way.'

Mr Lindenmayer said Australia and New Zealand beef is internationally recognised as BSE-free and consumers can have every confidence in the safety of Australian and New Zealand-produced beef and beef products. No fresh beef has been imported into Australia from Europe over at least the past two years.

ANZFA develops risk assessment policies for foods imported into Australia and works with the other agencies of the Australian Government and with State and Territory Governments to prevent food products with actual or possible contamination from reaching consumers.

'There is only a very small likelihood that European beef products now in the supermarkets or in our kitchens are contaminated with BSE. The measures now being taken will further reduce that risk,' Mr Lindenmayer said.