CFIA reviewing its BSE program. Ottawa—Canada is looking at harmonizing its bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prevention measures with the U.S. to ease some costs on producers, says Mary-Jane Ireland, Chief Veterinary Officer and Executive Director of Animal Health at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. In 2021, Canada gained negligible risk status for BSE from the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), she told the Commons agriculture committee. The disease was first found in Alberta in 2003. “Our current BSE program was examined and determined to be strict enough and efficient and effective enough to grant us negligible risk status,” she said. Saskatchewan Conservative MP Warren Steinley asked Ireland if there was any consideration of reviewing this status as cattle producers frequently complain about how it reduces their profitability. “If we cannot go back to what was done before, is there any way to find a middle-of-the-road solution that would not compromise safety, but would put fewer restrictions on our producers?” Ireland said CFIA was aware of producer concerns about the differences between U.S. and Canadian rules for the handling and listing of specified risk material. “At the agency we are supporting a risk assessment to look at what the risks would be should we harmonize with the U.S., she said. They include risks to human health, animal health, international trade and negligible risk status. “We are working with industry to have this risk assessment completed so that we can determine whether or if changes to the BSE program could be accomplished and what the risks might be.” CFIA wants to avoid changes that cause risk. “We need to know what those are, so a study is ongoing and we are collaborating with industry to get that done.” Canada gained negligible risk status by providing WOAH “with a very comprehensive, in-depth package of information and data to show that we have the right controls in place to prevent BSE from occurring again. Those were all the components of our processes, our inspections and our data. That was evaluated by the scientific commission, and it was determined that our program was solid and sufficient and that Canada was deserving of negligible risk status.” If Canada made regulatory or policy changes on BSE, it would provide full details to WOAH and it “would make an assessment about whether those changes were significant.” The U.S. also has negligible risk status. It has a different history with BSE in terms of cases and types of the disease as well as different infrastructure and different risks, which they have addressed with their own program, Ireland said.