"This morning, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) notified the USDA of a case of BSE in a beef animal in Alberta, Canada. Canada has started an epidemiological investigation to identify the animal's herd of origin.

"With the information currently available we do not anticipate a change in the status of beef imports from Canada. While our risk assessment anticipated multiple cases of BSE, we are confident that the interlocking safeguards in place in both Canada and the U.S. are providing effective consumer protection.

"USDA continues to work on the proposed rule to allow animals over 30 months of age from countries at minimal risk for BSE. We will incorporate epidemiological findings from this latest case into the current risk assessment to ensure that the conclusions we have drawn about the proposed rule's effectiveness are still accurate."