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“As close to zero as you can get”

An amendment to the House 2016 spending bill for the USDA and FDA would block imports of fresh beef from regions of Brazil and Argentina – until further risk studies are done on the potential of Foot and Mouth disease coming to the U.S.

At a Senate homeland security committee hearing Wednesday, Montana Senator Jon Tester asked USDA veterinarian Dr. John Clifford why the USDA is allowing those imports.

Clifford says those regions are classified, like Uruguay, as FMD-free with vaccination, “And what that means is, they have not had cases, an active outbreak of foot and mouth disease for years,” said Clifford.

“In regions…” said Tester. “No,” Clifford replied, “In the entire country. There has not been a verified case of foot and mouth disease in the entire South America in over two years.”

Clifford says those countries are not considered “FMD certified free” because they still vaccinate.

Tester asked Clifford for confirmation that the risk to the U.S. cattle industry was “zero.”

Clifford: “I didn’t say it was zero. I said it was extremely low risk.”

Tester: “What would it be? Less than 10%?”

Clifford: “Oh, it’s a lot lower than that.”

Tester:  “Less than one-percent?”

Clifford:  “Yes.”

Tester: “Okay, so nearly zero?”

Clifford: “As close to zero as you can get without saying ‘zero.’”

Clifford emphasized that the USDA-approved imports are of boneless beef only.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and R-CALF USA are among the U.S. groups strongly against those imports.