CANADIAN BEEF IMPORT BAN LIFTED|颱風夜 衛福部突宣布加國牛肉解禁

The controversial ban on Canadian beef was lifted on July 8. The Food and Drug Administration announced the resumption of Canadian beef imports after several inter-departmental discussions and risk evaluations took place. Experts believe that there is a low risk of getting the mad cow disease from Canadian beef ,thus the government had decided to lift the ban. Canadian beef was banned in February 2015 because of mad cow disease. However, the Ministry of Health and Welfare's Food and Drug Administration declared that the imports of Canadian beef will be resumed from July 8. ==PAN CHIH-KUAN, Section chief MOH, FDA== We have reached a consensus during inter-departmental discussions. Higher authorities have made the decision that the announcement will be issued on July 8. The FDA said that Canada asked Taiwan to resume beef imports from April 2015. Therefore, FDA and COA personnel, together with livestock experts, went to Canada and examined its beef industry. Experts believe that there was a low risk of mad cow disease infection, so the government decided to resume imports. However, doctors of clinical toxicology are concerned that people will get CJD if they consume beef infected with mad cow disease. CJD leads to death, and there is currently no cure for it. ==YEN TZUNG-HAI, Head, Clinical Tox., Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital == The symptoms usually begin with anxiety, instability when walking, and coordination disorders. Patients will suffer from dementia and eventually pass away. Experts suggest that the government should issue online reports of their risk evaluation, so that the public can make an informed choice. Meanwhile, the FDA emphasized that the beef will only be imported if it meets 6 standards, including that it is beef from animals under 30 months old. TRANSLATED BY：ARIEL HSIEH 加拿大牛肉確定解禁！一年多前因牛隻感染狂牛症、而被暫停進口的加拿大牛肉，經過跨部會討論及專家風險評估後，認為狂牛症風險低，因此從今天起、恢復加拿大進口報驗。 去年2月、因為牛隻感染狂牛症，被暫停進口一年多的加拿大牛肉，衛福部食藥署周四晚間突然宣布解禁，從周五起、恢復加拿大牛肉的進口報驗。 ==食藥署食品組長 潘志寬== 我們在跨部會 討論的時候有個共識 這樣的共識就是 先給上級 上級是剛好就決定在 之前就已經決定在今天要 要發布這樣的訊息啦 食藥署表示，從去年4月起，加拿大就透過各種管道要求我國恢復進口，所以食藥署、農委會與畜牧專家等人，去年底也到加拿大牛隻的飼料廠、牧場及屠宰廠等進行查核，並由專家會議討論，認為狂牛症風險低，因此行政院最後核定、重新開放進口，不過國內毒物科醫師擔心，人類如果吃到感染狂牛症的牛肉，恐怕會罹患新型庫賈氏症，大腦組織會變得空洞退化而死亡，而且這種病、目前無藥可醫。 ==林口長庚毒物科主任 顏宗海== 它症狀包括 剛開始也許 會出現一些焦慮 一些走路不穩 協調能力不正常 甚至有些失智 退化行為 到最後結果就是過世 專家建議政府，應該要把風險評估報告等資訊、上網公告給民眾知道，讓民眾有所選擇；而食藥署則是強調，加拿大牛肉進口、必須符合30個月齡以下牛隻等6點規定，邊境才會受理報驗。 記者 賴淑敏 吳其昌 台北報導