Question Period Note: BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY (BSE)

Q1 – Why are there differences between Canada and the United States in the measures to mitigate bovine spongiform encephalopathy risk?
Q2 – What has been done to align the Canadian feed ban with the feed ban in the United States?
Q3 – How does the future detection of cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in Canada affect the risk status designation?
Q4 – How does Canada’s negligible risk status for bovine spongiform encephalopathy affect trade?

R1 - Both Canada and the United States are currently recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health as having a negligible risk status for bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Canadian regulations require the removal of a broader list of cattle material (specified risk material) from the animal feed, pet food and fertilizer production chains contrary to the United States. These controls enabled Canada to mitigate risks and achieve negligible risk status. This status supports trade and allows the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to approach trading partners about expanding market access for live cattle and their products and by-products.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has heard from stakeholders that Canada’s enhanced feed ban puts the Canadian cattle industry at a competitive disadvantage to its US counterparts. They have expressed a desire to pursue alignment with the US to improve competitiveness for cattle producers and processors. It has engaged with key industry stakeholders, including the Canadian Cattle Association, Canadian Meat Council, Animal Nutrition Association of Canada, and Canadian Renderers Association, to better understand possible risks and benefits of aligning Canada’s feed ban with the United States.

Further discussion with key trading partners is required to determine if there will be impacts on market access (for countries other than the United States) for Canadian cattle, beef products and by-products.
R2 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency committed in its Progress Report on Red Tape Reduction to introducing swift regulatory changes to permit certain tissues considered specified risk material (SRM) to be included Lin non-ruminant livestock feed and other products, in alignment with the United States.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has established an industry engagement group to gather information that will contribute to the government’s assessment of the feasibility, trade and economic implications of potential feed ban alignment. It has also consulted with industry and partners in the United States to learn about how specified risk material is managed to inform alignment efforts.
R3 - In 2023, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) revised its bovine spongiform encephalopathy standards so that the detection of a case – whether domestic or imported, atypical or classical – no longer leads to the automatic suspension of a country’s official bovine spongiform encephalopathy risk status. Canada is only required to submit an epidemiological report within 90 days if the case involves classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy in a domestic animal born after 2007.

However, some international trading partners may choose not to follow these new standards and may immediately impose trade restrictions on live cattle, and their products/by-products.
R4 - Having negligible bovine spongiform encephalopathy risk status helps trade negotiations and expand market access. Since achieving this status, Canada has secured approvals to export bovine meat and bone meal to Mexico, and beef to several countries including Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Guatemala, and Australia, and expanded beef access to Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Japan and Taiwan. Canada’s access to markets for live cattle has also expanded since achieving this status, now including Algeria, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye. Canada continues to work to expand access for live cattle and their products/by-products to new markets.

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, is a progressive, fatal disease of the nervous system of cattle that is associated with the presence of an abnormal form of a prion protein. In infected cattle, prions concentrate in certain tissues known in Canada as specified risk material (SRM).

There are two distinct types of BSE. The first type of BSE is the classical strain, which emerges from the practice of feeding cattle with concentrated sources of cattle protein and is transmitted through prion-contaminated feed. The second type of BSE is the atypical strain that occurs sporadically in all cattle populations at a very low rate and has only been identified in older animals.

The disease continues to pose an extremely low risk to human and animal health. The Government’s actions have also led to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) upgrading Canada’s risk status from “controlled” to “negligible” in May 2021. Trade restrictions, however, are still imposed on Canadian animals and their products by some trading partners, such as China. Other countries have opened the door to some cattle commodities, while maintaining some restrictions, such as South Korea. In July 2025, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced the successful re-opening of market access for Canadian beef and beef products to Australia—opening the door to a key Indo-Pacific market for the first time since 2003.

The Canadian Government is working to regain and expand market access for live cattle and products derived from them, based on our negligible risk status.

Atypical BSE case

On December 17, 2021, the CFIA notified WOAH of a case of atypical BSE in a beef cow on a farm in Alberta.

The detection and reporting of an atypical BSE case has not affected Canada’s negligible risk status.

Following the detection of this atypical BSE case, Canada engaged key trading partners to provide information and maintain confidence in Canada’s BSE safeguards.
According to WOAH standards, the occurrence of atypical BSE cases should not affect Canada’s status as long as the case is disposed of in a way that mitigates the risk for humans and other animals. Some countries, however, have stopped imports regardless.

BSE - specified risk material

To maintain the BSE negligible risk status with WOAH, Canada must publicly demonstrate that effective controls are in place to prevent the risks of entry and recycling of BSE within the Canadian livestock feed chain. Each country holding a BSE risk status must identify and report its unique risk factors for BSE entry and exposure, and measures to mitigate these risks to WOAH. Canada achieved its negligible BSE risk status from the WOAH in May 2021, based on the risk mitigation program in place at that time.

To maintain negligible risk status for BSE, WOAH now requires evidence that efforts are undertaken to find and sample appropriate cattle. On March 21, 2025, the CFIA launched a redesigned BSE Surveillance Program to align with the new WOAH standards.

The CFIA is analyzing the feasibility of aligning with the United States’ list of cattle-derived materials that can be fed to non-ruminant animals. The beef industry estimates that differences between the United States and Canadian feed bans cost the Canadian packing industry approximately $25 million annually. Industry has stated that aligning with the United States would reduce these competitive disadvantages for this Canadian sector.

The CFIA is engaging with a variety of stakeholders, including the Canadian Cattle Association, Canadian Meat Council, Animal Nutrition Association of Canada, and the Canadian Renderers Association.

Feed ban controls are integrated into several regulatory frameworks, including the Health of Animals Regulations, Feeds Regulations, Fertilizers Regulations, Food and Drug Regulations, the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, and the Agriculture and Agri-food Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations. Any changes to the Canadian feed ban will involve regulatory amendments and public consultation. The CFIA will carefully consider stakeholder input and protection of human and animal health, food safety, competitiveness, cost benefit, risk management, and market access in any such changes.

• The Government is committed to maintaining and expanding international market access for Canadian cattle, beef products and by-products.
• Protecting human and animal health while maintaining Canada’s negligible risk status remains a priority.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has implemented a redesigned Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Surveillance Program that aligns with the latest international standards.
• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is also working to align Canada’s Enhanced Feed Ban with the United States, supporting trade and reducing costs for Canadian producers.