Bovine Spon giform Ence phalopa thy (BSE) Import Polic y for Bov ine Animals and Their 
Products an d By-Products 
 
AHP D-DSAE -IE-200 5-9-1 
 
Amendme nts:  The numbe r of cha nges and ad dition s to this dire ctive are too ma ny to summa rize. 
 
 
This poli cy, under the le gislative authorit y of the Health of Anim als Act  and Health of Anim als 
Regulation s, specifies BSE-relate d imp ort or tra nsit condition s inte nded to man age the zo onotic 
and anim al health risks associated with the pres ence of the BSE a gent in bovine animal s of an 
exporting cou ntry. 
 
OVERVIEW 
 
Situating the  BSE import polic y within the broad er import frame work  
 
While thi s policy deal s specifically with bovine sp ongif orm encephal opathy (BSE) , it is important to 
recogni ze tha t other factors and disea ses may pl ay a role in devel oping the impo rt conditio ns 
necessa ry to provide a n accepta ble level  of pr otection for publi c and animal healt h. This sectio n 
addresse s those fa ctors. 
 
Under the Health of Anim als Re gulatio ns, importation of bovine ani mals, anim al prod ucts, animal 
by-produ cts, animal path ogens and oth er thing s is allowed und er certain conditi ons. Th e spe cific 
sections of the Regulations are: Pa rt II, sections 7 to 16; Part III; Pa rt IV; and, Pa rt XIII, section 160. 
 
CFIA use s the above re gulatory autho rity as the basi s for recognitio n of a spe cific country, or p art of 
a cou ntry, as being fre e of, or as p osing a negligibl e risk fo r, a parti cular disea se, dependi ng on a 
variety of factors which include, but are not limited to the followin g para meters: 
 
the cou ntry having bee n assesse d by CFIA as having  an equivale nt veterinary 
infrast ructure to Cana da’s, having an eff ective and im plemente d system for dete cting an d 
diagn osing diseases, as well as re porting outbre aks, and surveilla nce d ata to the 
internatio nal comm unity.  
 
 
Additional im port co ndition s relate d to other di seases such as FMD, TB, Brucello sis, a re often 
necessa ry an d can b e foun d either in co mmodi ty-spec ific import direc tives listed in the Import 
Policie s and Dire ctives Web link or in the Automated Import Referenc e Sys tem. The importe r of 
bovine anim als or p roducts is obligate d to ensur e compliance with t he sp ecific require ment s of 
other CFIA policie s and directives that fall unde r the legisl ative authority of the Meat Inspe ction Act  
and Meat Inspectio n Regulations , Feeds Act  and Feeds Regul ation s and the Fertilizers Act  and 
Fertilizers Regulations . The requi rements indicated with resp ect to the slau ghter of bovine ani mals, 
namely, ante-m ortem and post-m ortem insp ectio n, stunnin g, age d etermin ation, and spe cified risk 
material (S RM) rem oval a nd dispo sition must com ply with the stan dards set out in the CFIA Manual 
of Proce dures, Annex N, Cha pter 4, under the auth ority of the Meat Inspe ction Regulation s. 
 
The Ca nada Borde r Services Agen cy assist s the CFIA with bord er clearan ce re sponsibilities and 
importe rs are obligated to meet any req uirements of the Canada Borde r Servi ces Agen cy Act  or 
other ap plicable legi slation  under which Border Services Office rs are desi gnate d. 
 
  1Bovine pro ducts an d by-p roducts u sed in the prep aration of food, cosmeti cs, d rugs (including 
pharma ceuti cals for u se in animal s, pha rmace uticals and biolo gics for hum an use, and natural 
health produ cts for use in a nimals o r humans) an d medical device s are al so regulated by He alth 
Canada throu gh pro duct-specific regul atory pro grams, which a re administe red under the a uthority 
of the Food a nd Drug s Act  and Food an d Dru gs Regulation s. Vete rinary biologi cs and their 
comp onents are regul ated simila rly by the CFIA und er the Health of Anim als Act  and Health of 
Anim als Regulations .  
 
It is the resp onsibility of the prospe ctive importe r or licensee to be i n compli ance with any addi tional 
import re quirements o r restriction s asso ciated with the importatio n or lice nsing of a commodit y for 
human u se, or admini stration to animal s. 
 
BSE-sp ecific  overview 
 
The BSE import policy for bovine anim als and animal  products, ani mal by-p roducts, germplasm, 
animal food, meat, meat by-pro ducts an d veterina ry biologi cs, of bo vine origin, a dheres closely to 
the recomme ndation s of the Wo rld Orga nisatio n for An imal He alth (OIE) an d abi des by the int ent of 
the North American harmoniz ation of a BSE s trategy.1 
 
For the pu rpose of this poli cy, bovine ani mals con sist of cattle and bison and the ir exotic rel atives. 
Taxonomi cally they are cla ssifie d as me mbers of the Subfamily Bovinae from th e genu s Bos, whic h 
includes cattle (Bos taurus and Bos indi cus) and biso n (Bos bison).  
 
Dependin g on the comm odity being co nsidered for importatio n, whether live an imals, anim al 
products or by-products of bovine ori gin, BSE-re lated conditions may be requi red if import is 
allowed. 
Canada a ccepts the OIE classification for c ountry BSE ris k categoriz ation. Therefore, CFIA does  
not routinely carry out inde pendent assessment re garding a country’s BSE categori zation. 
LIST OF COUNTRIE S BY BS E DESIGNATION 
The OIE classifies countries for BSE risk into three ca tegori es: 1) negligible ri sk, 2) cont rolled ri sk, 
or 3) u ndete rmined ri sk.  
The following c ountries  are re cognized as having a NEGLIGIBLE  BSE RISK in ac cordanc e with 
Chapter 11.6  of the 2009 p ublished Te rrestrial Code of the OIE:
1. Australi a 
2. Argentin a 
3. Chile 
4. Finland 
5. Icelan d  
6. New Zeala nd  
7. Norway  
8. Parag uay  
9. Singapo re  
10. Swede n  
11. Uru guay
                                                           
1 Report of the North American C hief Veteri nary Officers  on Harm onization  of a BSE Strategy , March 17, 
2005, 4 pp. 
  2 
The followi ng countri es are recogni zed as hav ing a CONT ROLLED BSE RISK in  accordance with 
Chapter 11.6 of the 2009 p ublished Te rrestrial Code of the OIE : 
1. Austria 
2. Belgium 
3. Brazil 
4. Canada 
5. Chinese Taip ei  
6. Colom bia 
7. Cyprus 
8. Czech Re public 
9. Denm ark 
10. Estonia 
11. France 
12. Germ any 
13. Gree ce 
14. Hungary 
15. Ireland 
16. Italy 
17. Japan 
18. Latvia 
19. Liechten stein  
20. Lithuani a 
21. Luxembo urg 
22. Malta 
23. Mexico 
24. Netherlands 
25. Poland 
26. Portugal 
27. Slovak Re public 
28. Slovenia 
29. Spain 
30. Switze rland 
31. United King dom 
32. United States of America  
 
Exemptions t o the con ditions for the imp ortation of ani mals, produ cts and by-prod ucts o r any ot her 
comm oditie s not listed, ma y be con sidered on a case-by-ca se basis, taking into a ccount  such factors a s 
the intende d use, the natu re of the prod uct, the bov ine tissu es fro m which it wa s derive d and the 
manufa cturing and processing meth ods to which it wa s subje cted. Applicabl e import conditi ons would be 
develop ed on  the basi s of the outcome o f a prior ri sk assessme nt. 
 
DEFINITIONS  
 
Note all defini tions withi n this import poli cy, unless referenced oth erwise, are ba sed on the Health of 
Animals  Act and the Health of Anim als Regulatio ns, Interpretation, sec tion 2 . 
 
  3 
 4Animal:  means any member of one of the species re gulated by CFIA, and, includes an embryo and a 
fertilized egg or ovum 
 
Animal food: means any food containing an animal product or animal by-product for chickens, turkeys, 
ducks, geese, ratites, game birds, ruminants, swine or horses but does not include such things as fish 
meal or vitamin or mineral supplements that do not contain animal products or by-products 
 
Animal by-product:  means an animal by-product that originated from a bird or from any mammal except 
a member of the orders Rodentia, Cetacea , Pinnipedia  and Sirenia  (Health of Animals Regulations )  
 
Animal product:  means an animal product that originated from a bird or from any mammal except a 
member of the orders Rodentia , Cetacea , Pinnipedia  and Sirenia   
 
Biologics (human): drugs listed on Schedule D of the Food and Drugs Act  include names of individual 
products, product classes and reference to par ticular sources and methodology. Biologics are 
manufactured from animals, or micro-organisms, or  through the use of animals or micro-organisms. 
Examples include blood and blood components, insulin, monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, protein hormones and gene therapy products
2  
 
Bovine:  means cattle or bison and includes their exotic relatives. Taxonomically they are classified as 
members of the Subfamily Bovinae  from the genus Bos, which includes cattle (Bos taurus and Bos 
indicus ) and bison (Bos bison )  
 
BSE slaughter process:  means any process of slaughtering an animal other than  a process in which 
the animal is subjected, before being slaughtered, to  (a) a stunning process in which a device is used to 
inject compressed air or gas into the animal’s cranial cavity; or (b) a pithing pr ocess involving laceration, 
after stunning of the animal, of the animal’s centra l nervous tissue by means of an elongated rod-shaped 
instrument that is introduced into the animal’s cranial cavity  
 
Cosmetic:  includes any substance or mixture of substances  manufactured, sold or represented for use in 
cleansing, improving or altering the complexion,  skin, hair or teeth, and includes deodorants and 
perfumes3 
 
Drug:  includes any substance or mixture of substances ma nufactured, sold or represented for use in (a)  
the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or prevention of a di sease, disorder or abnormal physical state, or its 
symptoms, in human beings or animals; (b)  restoring, correcting or modifying organic functions in human 
beings or animals; or (c)  disinfection in premises in which food is manufactured, prepared or kept4  
 
Device:  means any article, instrument, apparatus or contrivance, including any component, part or 
accessory thereof, manufactured, sold or represented for use in (a)  the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or 
prevention of a disease, disorder or abnormal phy sical state, or its symptoms, in human beings or 
animals; (b)  restoring, correcting or modifying a body func tion or the body structure of human beings or 
animals; (c)  the diagnosis of pregnancy in human beings or animals; or (d)  the care of human beings or 
animals during pregnancy and at and after birth of th e offspring, including care of the offspring, and 
includes a contraceptive device but does not include a drug5  
 
Food:  includes any article manufactured, sold or represented for use as food or drink for human beings, 
chewing gum, and any ingredient that may be mixed with food for any purpose whatever6  
                                                           
2 Summarized from Health Canada Fact Sheet: Subsequent Entry Biologics in Canada .  
3 Food and Drugs Act , Interpretation, Section 2, “Cosmetic” 
4 Food and Drugs Act , Interpretation, Section 2, “Drug” 
5 Food and Drugs Act , Interpretation, Section 2, “Device” 
6 Food and Drugs Act , Interpretation, Section 2, “Food”  
 5 
Germplasm:  means semen, male or female germ cells or ge netic material taken from a male or female 
germ cell for the purpose of producing a zygote and includes embryos but does not include a hatching 
egg7  
 
Meat:  means the edible part of a carcass that is t he muscle associated with the skeleton, tongue, 
diaphragm, heart, gizzard or mammalian oesophagus, with or without accompanying and overlying fat, 
together with those parts of the bones, skin, sinews, nerves, blood vessels and other tissues that normally 
accompany the muscle and are not ordinarily remove d in dressing a carcass, but does not include the 
muscle associated with the lips, sn out, scalp or ears, mechanically recovered meat or meat to which an 
ingredient other than meat has been added8  
 
Meat by-product:  means edible blood, an edible organ or edibl e tissue that was derived from the carcass 
of a food animal, but does not include meat or mechanically recovered meat9  
 
Mechanically recovered meat (MRM):  means meat obtained using high pressure to recover the residual 
raw meat adhering to the bones after other boning processes have been completed10  
 
Ruminant:  means an animal of the suborder Ruminatiae and includes an animal of the family Camelidae  
 
Specified risk material:  means (a) the skull, brain, trigeminal ganglia, eyes, tonsils, spinal cord and 
dorsal root ganglia of cattle aged 30 months or older; a nd (b) the distal ileum of cattle of all ages (SRM in  
Food and Drug Regulations  and SRM in Health of Animals Regulations ) 
 
Tallow:  is an odourless, tasteless, waxy white fat cons isting of suet (the hard fat about the kidneys and 
loins of cattle, sheep, and horses) or fats from other animals11  
 
Veterinary biologic:  means (a) a helminth, protozoa or micro-organism, (b) a substance or mixture of 
substances derived from animals, helminths, protozoa or micro-organisms, or (c) a substance of synthetic 
origin, that is manufactured, sold or represented fo r use in restoring, correcting or modifying organic 
functions in animals or for use in the diagnosis, treat ment, mitigation or prevention of a disease, disorder 
or abnormal physical state, or the symptoms thereof, in animals;12 and includes any veterinary biologic 
derived through biotechnology ( Health of Animals Regulations ); veterinary biologics do not include 
veterinary drugs (which are assigned a DIN number) and are primarily regulated by Health Canada 
(Veterinary Drugs Directorate)  under the authority of the Food and Drugs Act  and Regulations13 
 
 BSE-SPECIFIC IMPORT CO NDITIONS FOR COMMODITIES OF BOVINE ORIGIN 
 
An important tool for importers is AIRS  which details specific import conditions and required 
documentation by product type or animal and includes non-BSE-relat ed conditions, such as Foot and 
Mouth Disease requirements. More guidance on import  requirements can also be obtained by contacting 
the CFIA local animal health office (by province) . 
                                                           
7 Health of Animals Regulations , Part II, Importation of Germplasm and Animals, Definitions, Section 10, 
“Germplasm” 
8 Meat Inspection Regulations , Interpretation, Section 2, “Meat” 
9 Meat Inspection Regulations , Interpretation, Sectio n 2, “Meat by-product” 
10 Canadian Institute of Health Research , Meeting the Challenge of Prion Diseases: Conference Proceedings and 
Invitational Research Planning Workshop Report , Appendix VIII Glossary of Terms and Acronyms, Mechanically 
Recovered Meat.  
11 Tallow. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica . Retrieved May 25, 2009.  
12 Health of Animals Act , Interpretation, Section 2, “Veterinary biologic” 
13 Veterinary Biologics Guideline 3.25E  Guideline for Importation of Veterinary Biologics.   
 6 
The BSE-related import conditions by commodity are indicated below.  Any certification  requirements 
in section a) through h) are to address potential cr oss-contamination with the bovine tissues listed below14 
(these tissues are what are legally defined within Ca nadian legislation as SRM), and as such meet the 
OIE requirement and Canadian domestic legislative r equirements that the comm odity contain “no other 
tissues of cattle.”  The OIE Code Commission emphasizes that the removal and avoidance of 
contamination with SRM, as defined by Canada  are paramount to manage the human and animal 
health risks associated with BSE. Measures must be taken to exclude cross-contamination with the 
below-named tissues during slaughter, harvest an d/or handling processes and certification by the 
veterinary administration of same. Products for hum an use may have additional conditions applied, in 
order to satisfy the requirements of Health Canada. 
 
 
A. Milk, Milk Products and Colostrum 
No BSE-related conditions.  
 
 
B. Semen and In Vivo Derived Bovine Embryos Collected and Handled in Accordance With 
the Recommendations of the International Embryo Transfer Society 
No BSE-related conditions. 
 
 
C. Hides and Skins for Any End Use 
 
Countries of negligible BSE risk 
No BSE-related conditions. 
 
Countries of controlled and undetermined BSE risk - In order to be consistent with Canadian domestic policy 
 
Certification by the veterinary administration that  the hides and skins from the head (face plates 
only) of bovine animals aged 30 months or older, which were stunned with a penetrating device, 
were  
(a) removed; or  
(b) trimmed of hide a minimum of 2.5 cm around the stun hole and a minimum of 2.5 cm around      all parts of the face plate that were visibly contaminated with brain tissue; or  
(c) washed, scraped, vacuumed, or otherwise processed  
 
to remove visible brain materials. 
 
 
D. Gelatin and Collagen Prepared Exclusively from Hides and Skins  
See the Highly Processed Products directive  AHPD-IE-2001-8-3 for both the BSE and non-BSE 
requirements. 
 
 
E. Tallow with a Maximum Level of Insoluble Impurities of 0.15 Percent in Weight and 
Derivatives Made From This Tallow  
                                                           
14 the distal ileum of bovine animals of all ages; and, the palatine tonsils, the skull including the brain, the trigeminal 
ganglia and eyes, the spinal cord and the vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of  the tail, the transverse 
processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings  of the sacrum) of all bovine animals aged 30 months 
or older from controlled and undetermined BSE risk countries. 
  
 7See the Rendered and Inedible Products directive  AHPD-DSAE-IE-2002-10-4 for both the BSE 
and non- BSE requirements. 
 
 
F. Dicalcium Phosphate (with no trace of protein or fat)  
See the Highly Processed Products directive  AHPD-IE-2001-8-3 for both the BSE and non-BSE 
requirements. 
 
 
G. Meat and Meat By-Products 
 
 1. deboned skeletal muscle meat, excluding mechanically recovered meat 
 
All Countries:  
Certification by the veterinary administration that: 
 
the deboned skeletal muscle meat (excluding mechanically separated meat) was derived from 
cattle which were not subjected to a stunning process prior to slaughter , with a device injecting 
compressed air or gas into the cranial cavity or to a pithing process, and which passed ante-
mortem and post-mortem inspections and which has been prepared in a manner to avoid 
contamination with tissues listed in Article 11.6.14 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 
2009.
 
2. all other meat and meat by-products, including bone-in meat 
 
Countries of negligible BSE risk 
Certification by the veterinary administration was derived from cattle which were not subjected to 
a stunning process prior to slaughter , with a device injecting compressed air or gas into the 
cranial cavity or to a pithing process, and that the country complies with conditions in Article 
11.6.3 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 2009  and: 
 
a) the bovine animals from which the meat and meat products were derived were subjected to 
and passed ante-mortem  and post-mortem  inspections, the meat and meat products were 
deemed fit for human consumption in the country of origin, and the facility in which the animals were slaughtered and processed was approved by the CFIA; AND 
 
b) where indigenous cases of BSE have occurred, the meat and meat products were derived from 
bovine animals that were born after the date from which the ban on the feeding of ruminant 
animals with meat and bone meal (or greaves) de rived from ruminants was effectively enforced. 
 
Countries of controlled BSE risk 
Certification by the veterinary administration t hat the country complies with conditions in Article 
11.6.4 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 2009  and: 
 
a) the bovine animals from which the meat and meat products were derived were subjected to 
and passed ante-mortem  and post-mortem  inspections, the meat and meat products were 
deemed fit for human consumption in the country of origin, and the facility in which the animals 
were slaughtered and processed was approved by the CFIA; AND 
 
b) the bovine animals from which the meat and m eat products were derived were subjected to a 
BSE slaughter process, which is any process for slaught ering an animal other than  a process in 
which the animal is subjected, before slaughtering, to: (i) a stunning process in which a device is 
used to inject compressed air or gas into the ani mal’s cranial cavity; or (ii) a pithing process  
 8involving laceration, after stunning of the animal,  of the animal’s central nervous tissue by means 
of an elongated rod-shaped instrument that is in troduced into the animal’s cranial cavity; AND 
 
c) the meat and meat products do not contain mechanically recovered meat from the skull and 
vertebral column of bovine animals aged 30 months or older ; AND 
 
d) the meat and meat products do not contain, were not prepared from or were not contaminated 
with: (i) distal ileum of all ages of bovine animals, and (ii) palatine tonsils, the skull including the 
brain, trigeminal ganglia and eyes, the spinal cord and the vertebral column (excluding the 
vertebrae of the tail, the transverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the 
wings of the sacrum), from bovine animals aged 30 months or older . 
 
Countries of undetermined BSE risk 
Certification by the veterinary administration that: 
a) the bovine animals from which the meat and meat products were derived were subjected to 
and passed ante-mortem  and post-mortem  inspections, the meat and meat products were 
deemed fit for human consumption in the country of origin, and the facility in which the animals 
were slaughtered and processed was approved by the CFIA; AND 
 
b) the bovine animals, from which the meat and meat  products were derived, were subjected to a 
BSE slaughter process, which is any process for slaught ering an animal other than a process in 
which the animal is subjected, before slaughtering, to (i) a stunning process in which a device is 
used to inject compressed air or gas into the ani mal’s cranial cavity; or (ii) a pithing process 
involving laceration, after stunning of the animal,  of the animal’s central nervous tissue by means 
of an elongated rod-shaped instrument that is in troduced into the animal’s cranial cavity; AND 
 
c) any visible nervous and lymphatic tissues  exposed during deboning were removed; AND 
 
d) the meat and meat products do not contain mechanically recovered meat from the skull and 
vertebral column of bovine animals  aged 12 months or older ; AND 
 
e) the meat and meat products do not contain, were not prepared from or were not contaminated 
with (i) distal ileum of all ages of bovine anima ls, and (ii) palatine tonsils, the skull including the 
brain, trigeminal ganglia and eyes, the spinal cord and the vertebral column, (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the 
wings of the sacrum), from bovine animals  aged 12 months or older . 
 
 
H. Blood and Blood By-Products for Inedible Uses 
 
See the Rendered Products and Inedible Products  import directive AHPD-DSAE-IE-2002-10-4 for 
both BSE and non-BSE requirements. 
 
 Blood and blood by-products for Edible Uses (i.e. for food, cosmetics, drugs (including 
pharmaceuticals, biologicals for human use a nd natural health products), veterinary 
biologics or medical devices) 
 
Countries of negligible BSE risk 
Certification by the veterinary administration t hat the country complies with conditions in Article 
11.6.3 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 2009  and: 
 
a) was derived from cattle which were not subjected to a stunning process prior to slaughter , with 
a device injecting compressed air or gas into the cranial cavity or to a pithing process, and which 
passed ante-mortem and post-mort em inspections and the bovine animals from which the blood  
 9and blood by-products were derived were subjected to and passed ante-mortem and post-
mortem  inspections, the blood was deemed fit for hum an consumption in the country of origin, 
and the facility in which the animals were slau ghtered and processed was approved by the CFIA; 
AND 
 
b) the blood was collected from cattle by a closed blood collection method such as using a hollow 
knife or cannula. 
 
 Countries of controlled BSE risk and Countries of undetermined BSE risk 
Certification by the veterinary administration t hat the country complies with conditions in Article 
11.6.4 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 2009  and: 
 
a) the bovine animals from which the blood and blood by-products were derived were subjected 
to and passed ante-mortem and post-mortem  inspections, the blood was deemed fit for human 
consumption in the country of origin, and the fa cility in which the animals were slaughtered and 
processed was approved by the CFIA; AND 
 
b) the bovine animals, from which the blood and bl ood by-products were derived, were subjected 
to a BSE slaughter process, which is any process for slaughtering an animal other than a process 
in which the animal is subjected, before slaughteri ng, to (i) a stunning process in which a device 
is used to inject compressed air or gas into the animal’s cranial cavity; or  (b) a pithing process 
involving laceration, after stunning of the animal, of the animal’s central nervous tissue by means 
of an elongated rod-shaped instrument that is in troduced into the animal’s cranial cavity; AND 
 
c) the blood was collected from bovine animals  by a closed blood collection method such as 
using a hollow knife or cannula. 
 
 
I.  Live Animals 
 
Countries of negligible BSE risk and Countries of controlled BSE risk 
Certification by the veterinary administration that the country complies with conditions in either 
Article 11.6.3 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 2009  or Article 11.6.4 of the OIE 
Terrestrial Animal Health Code 2009 , as applicable, and where there has been an indigenous 
case: 
 
a) the animals are identified by a permanent identification system enabling them to be traced 
back to demonstrate that the animals were not classified as exposed cattle nor under any 
restriction for movement, slaughter or destruction control, as described in the 2009 OIE 
Terrestrial Animal Health Code Chapter 11.6 on BSE; AND 
 
b) the bovine animals were born after the date, as determined by CFIA, from which the ban on 
the feeding of ruminant animals with meat and bon e meal (or greaves) derived from ruminants 
was effectively enforced. 
 
Countries of undetermined BSE risk 
 
Importation of live animals from countries of undet ermined BSE risk is restri cted. Case by case 
evaluations are possible in order to grant derogat ions to this restriction under CFIA’s Import 
permitting system. 
 
 
J. Ruminant-Derived Meat and Bone Meal (o r greaves) or any Commodities Containing Such 
Products   
 10 
Countries of negligible BSE risk 
Certification by the veterinary administration that the country complies with conditions in either 
Article 11.6.3 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 2009 ; and  
 
In the case of countries of negligible BSE risk where indigenous cases of BSE have occurred,  
certification by the veterinary administration that these commodities were derived from bovine 
animals that were born after the date from wh ich the ban on the feeding of ruminant animals with 
meat and bone meal (or greaves) derived fr om ruminants was effectively enforced. 
 
Countries of controlled BSE or of undetermined BSE risk 
Importation of these commodities from countries  of controlled and u ndetermined BSE risk is  
restricted. Case by case evaluations are possible in  order to grant derogati ons to this restriction 
under CFIA’s Import permitting system.  
 
 
 
 
K.  Gelatin and Collagen Prepared from Bones 
 
See the Highly Processed Products directive  AHPD-IE-2001-8-3 for both the BSE and non-BSE 
requirements. 
 
 
L. Tallow with Greater than 0.15 Percent Insoluble Impurities in Weight and Tallow 
Derivatives Made from Such Tallow 
 
See the Rendered Products and Inedible Products  import directive AHPD-DSAE-IE-2002-10-4 for 
both BSE and non-BSE requirements. 
 
 
M. Dicalcium Phosphate Containing Protein or Fat  
 
See the Highly Processed Products directive  AHPD-IE-2001-8-3 for both the BSE and non-BSE 
requirements. 
 
The dicalcium phosphate (containing protein or fa t) is a by-product of gelatin production, 
produced according to the conditions for the importation of the commodity gelatin and collagen 
prepared from bones . 
 
 
N. Products Produced by Subjecting Bones to Rigorous Processes of Extraction and 
Purification such as Ossein, Bone Ash, Bone Charcoal and Bone Oil  
 
See the Highly Processed Products directive  AHPD-IE-2001-8-3 for both the BSE and non-BSE 
requirements. 
 
 
O. Products and By-Products Produced by Rigorous Processes of Extraction and Purification 
Such as Animal Glue, Oleosterin, Triglycerides, Glycerol, and Sorbitan Esters  
 
See the Highly Processed Products directive  AHPD-IE-2001-8-3 for both the BSE and non-BSE 
requirements. 
  
 11 
 P. Animal By-Products (bone meal, meat m eal, blood meal, organ meats, rendered animal 
fats, gluestock, meat, inedible meat) as Ingredients Within Commercially Prepared, 
Finished Pet Food, Pet Treats, and Stuffed Pet Chews  
 
Refer to the Animal Health Import Requirements, Pet Food , AHPD-DSAE-IE-2001-9-7.  
 
For specific details regarding importation of i ngredients for the manufacture of the pet food, 
please refer to the Rendered Products and Inedible Products  import directive AHPD-DSAE-IE-
2002-10-4 for both BSE and non-BSE requirements or to AIRS . 
 
 
Q. Dried Processed Rawhide, Cattle Ears, Bull Pizzles, Cow Hooves or Tendons as Pet Chews  
 
Refer to the Animal Health Import Requirements, Pet Food , AHPD-DSAE-IE-2001-9-7.   
 
 
R. Veterinary Biologics (vaccines, antibody products, and diagnostic test kits) Derived From 
or Containing Bovine Tissues 
 
Countries of negligible and controlled BSE risk 
Certification by the veterinary administration that the country complies with conditions in either 
Article 11.6.3 of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 2009  or Article 11.6.4 of the OIE 
Terrestrial Animal Health Code 2009 , as applicable, 
 
As well as the following requirements as they are indicated on the import permit once issued. 
 
Importation of veterinary biologics, or their compo nents, from countries of  negligible risk or 
controlled risk is authorized by issuance of import permits,  dependent upon examination and 
approval of the manufacturer’s cert ification that the products were not prepared from or were not 
contaminated, at any point during the manufacturing process with: a) distal ileum of all ages of 
bovine animals, and b) palatine tonsils, the skull including the brain, trigeminal ganglia and eyes, 
the spinal cord and the vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse 
processes of the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), from all bovine 
animals aged 30 months or older . 
 
This is done through facility inspections and examination of manufacturer’s documentation and 
certification for freedom from t he above-listed materials. Factors assessed include the following: 
composition of the product (especially bovine-orig in materials); BSE risk status of the country 
where each of the starting materials and product  components were  sourced; BSE risk status of 
the country where the veterinary biologic was manufactured; manufacturing methods; target 
species and/or potential end uses of the produc t; and safe handling and disposal of potentially 
hazardous wastes associated with the imported materials. 
 
Countries of undetermined BSE risk 
Importation of veterinary biologics, or their comp onents, from countries of undetermined BSE risk 
is restricted. Case by case evaluations are possible  in order to grant derogations to this restriction 
under CFIA’s Import permitting system. 
 
 
S. Cell Lines, Culture Media, and Laboratory Reagents Derived From or Containing Bovine 
Tissues 
 
Countries of negligible, controlled and undetermined BSE risk  
 12Importation of cell lines, culture media and laboratory reagents from countries of negligible, 
controlled and undetermined BSE risk is  authorized by issuance of import permits,  dependent 
upon multiple factors including  the intended use and the examination and approval of the 
manufacturer’s certification that t he products were not prepared from or were not contaminated at 
any point during the manufacturing pr ocess with: a) distal ileum of  all ages of bovine animals; and, 
b) palatine tonsils, the skull including the brain, trigeminal ganglia and eyes, the spinal cord and 
the vertebral column (excluding the vertebrae of the tail, the transverse proc esses of the thoracic 
and lumbar vertebrae, and the wings of the sacrum), from all bovine animals aged 30 months or 
older  from countries of controlled and undetermined BSE risk .  
 
 
Importers are advised to reference AIRS  for commodity-specific instructions or to contact the CFIA local 
office (by province)  for further information. This policy does not remove any obligation to the Canadian 
importer to comply with the import requirements of  other CFIA programs and/or other government 
departments.