Animals and Animal Products
Argentine Beef Example
Argentine Beef.
A qualitative risk assessment conducted in 1996 was followed
by a decision to allow the importation of Argentine Beef into the
United States for the first time in about 40 years. A quantitative
risk assessment was conducted in June 1997 by APHIS that supported
that decision. The risk assessment used a scenario tree to assess
the probability that fresh, chilled or frozen beef exported from
Argentina would be contaminated with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD)
virus. The conclusions were that the risk is currently very low.
On average it would take 1,862 years of FMD-free exports before
export of an FMD-contaminated side would occur.
Argentine Beef Risk Assessment Conclusions:
1,862 years of FMD-free exports before export of an FMD-contaminated
side would occur . Other data:o The last outbreak of FMD was in
April 1994, o 90% of cattle in Argentina are vaccinated with an
inactivated FMD vaccine, o 100% of the cattle are under a national
FMD surveillance program, ando Argentina has been recognized by the
OIE as free of FMD with vaccination.
The low risk benchmark (free-with-vaccination) has recently been
applied to help implement the 20,000 metric ton tariff-rate quota
negotiated for U.S. beef imports from Argentina. These imports could
not have been accomplished under the three-category system previously
employed.
|