The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced recently a final rule that will complete efforts to modernize the agency’s import regulations for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

The rule is aimed at demonstrating to the international community that the United States is committed to basing its BSE regulations on internationally accepted scientific literature and standards set by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).

The final regulation will allow for the safe trade of bovines and bovine products while still protecting the United States from the introduction of BSE.

"This action will bring our BSE import regulations in line with international standards, which call for countries to base their trade policies on the actual risk of animals or products harboring the disease," said Dr. John Clifford, APHIS deputy...