May 23 2002, 11:19 Interfax-Ukraine

Along with meat smugglers may bring mad cow disease to Ukraine

Interfax Ukraina reported as of May 22 that the state veterinary department believes that importing smuggled meats in Ukraine we are facing a fat chance of importing mad cow disease as well. Petro Verbytskyi, the chief of the aforementioned department is worried about the fact that this disease has been registered in Poland and Slovakia, which are the closest neighbors.

According to him, smuggled meat takes up to 20% of the import market.

In May only Ivano-Frankivsk authorities detained 56MT of smuggled meat, and 73MT by Vinnytsia authorities where lever of livestock from Great Britain was found.

Verbytskyi also said that he would make sure that control over meat imports tightens up. Early in the year 2001 Ukraine restricted meat imports from Europe to avoid foot and mouth disease and mad cow disease situation. Beef and any other products imports are banned if they come from Germany, Spain, Italy, GB, Portugal, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Denmark, Austria and Finland.