031265 Canada Not Planning to Expand USA Beef BanDecember 27, 2003Ottawa (CBC News) - Canada's chief veterinarian Brian Evans says he's in constant contact with American officials over the discover of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease. But Evans says Ottawa is not likely to change its decision to restrict just a few American beef products, rather than close the border entirely. On Tuesday Agriculture Minister Bob Speller announced at a news conference in Ottawa. Canada will impose "import restrictions on ruminant and ruminant products," from the U.S. Ruminants are animals that chew their cud. Canada will still allow the import of cattle destined for immediate slaughter, boneless beef from cattle under 30 months of age and dairy products. In the hours following the announcement by the U.S. it had discovered BSE in the lone dairy cow, a number of countries including Japan, Taiwan, Russia, Mexico and South Korea took steps to ban the importation of U.S. beef. British scientists confirmed on Christmas Day that the in question had BSE. They are now conducting a new test on a new sample from the animal. Evans says Canada won't expand its restriction on imports unless there's a dramatic change in the situation.
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