Bangladesh slaps restriction on meat import

Dhaka, Jul 6 (PTI) - Bangladesh has restricted the import of
meat as a precautionary measure amid global concerns of
mad-cow disease outbreak, officials said here Sunday.
Customs authorities were alerted against the possible
risks from meat imports from countries already affected by or
exposed to the disease as the fisheries and livestock ministry
slapped the restriction earlier this week.
"The restriction was enforced as Bangladeshi traders will
risk losing export opportunities of animal bones, horn, hoof
and so on if any meat consignment proved mad cow positive," an
official of the ministry said.
Currently, animal bone exporters are required to take
mad-cow-free clearance certificates from the World
Organisation For Animal Health.
Bangladeshi importers so far required no prior permission
for meat imports, mainly for five-star hotels and a few
fast-food chain shops.
Scientifically called Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy,
the mad cow disease has already affected several countries
including U.S., resulting in cancellation of export orders
from countries like Japan.
It is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease for the cattle
and causes harm to brains and spinal cords of human beings in
case of consumption of meat of affected animals.
The disease had claimed 163 lives in Britain and 37
elsewhere till April 2008, according to reports that forecast
further rise in the casualties because of the long incubation
period of the disease.
Officials said some 2,000 samples of cattle heads have so
far been examined at Bangladesh Agriculture University, but no
mad cow disease was detected but the importers were asked not
to import meats from mad cow disease-affected countries.