Requirements for Diagnostic Laboratories

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, is spread when cattle consume feed products contaminated with certain proteins from infected animals.

In infected cattle, BSE concentrates in certain tissues, collectively known as specified risk material (SRM). For public health protection, these tissues are removed from all cattle slaughtered for human consumption. To prevent BSE spread among cattle, the Government of Canada banned most proteins, including SRM, from cattle feed in 1997.

Beginning July 12, 2007, enhanced animal health safeguards come into effect to help eliminate BSE from Canada. SRM must be handled, transported and disposed of under a permit issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). This permit control system is intended to ensure that SRM is monitored and does not enter the animal feed system.

What are SRM?

SRM are defined as:

• the skull, brain, trigeminal ganglia (nerves attached to the brain), eyes, tonsils, spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (nerves attached to the spinal cord) of cattle aged 30 months or older; and
• the distal ileum (portion of the small intestine) of cattle of all ages.

Requirements for diagnostic laboratories

Bovine carcasses containing SRM or samples of SRM tissues sent to any Level 2 or higher laboratory (as classified by the Public Health Agency of Canada's Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines) in Canada are exempt from CFIA permitting requirements. Similarly, SRM that is sent from the laboratory to another laboratory may be transported without staining or a permit.

However, any SRM waste that leaves the laboratory for disposal must be properly identified and accompanied by a CFIA SRM transportation permit. This applies to bovine carcasses containing SRM and samples of SRM tissues.

SRM can be destroyed or disposed of on site without a permit.

Laboratories that receive SRM tissues and dispose of SRM waste off site must ensure that the person who transports the waste has a proper SRM transportation permit.

Additional Information

For more information about SRM permit requirements contact the CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 or visit www.inspection.gc.ca/bse.