The ban on the importation of beef and beef products from Spain has been lifted with effect from May 1.

This was announced in a press release issued in Accra on Thursday, 6th May 2004 by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and President?s Special Initiatives. The statement made clear, however, that only beef and beef products derived from animals slaughtered after May 1, 2004 would be allowed into Ghana. It will be recalled that the Government of Ghana had previously banned the importation of Spanish beef and beef products as a result of the outbreak in that country of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), commonly known as ?made cows? disease?.

Both the ban and its lifting have been based on the recommendations of the Veterinary Services Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The lifting of the ban has been prompted by improvements in the control of the epidemic in Spain.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade has given the assurance that an effective monitoring mechanism has been instituted to prevent infected meat from reaching the consuming public.