The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Wednesday it lifted the temporary ban on the importation of live cattle, meat products and related items from the United Kingdom.
It imposed the ban on May 30, 2024 in response to reported cases of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease, in the UK.
The DA sought to protect the local livestock industry and mitigate potential health risks to consumers.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed Memorandum Order 45 on Oct. 11, 2024, lifting the import ban following official reports from the UK to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) indicating that the mad cow outbreak was resolved and there were no additional cases since Aug. 7, 2024.
The UK authorities also provided evidence to the DA that their food safety measures are equivalent to Philippine guidelines.
As a country recognized by the WOAH as having a “negligible” risk of BSE, the Philippines can now accept all in-transit and incoming shipments from the UK, provided they are accompanied by verified equivalence certificates from the United Kingdom Veterinary Authority.
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