WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts today welcomed the announcement by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) classifying the United States as a "controlled risk" country regarding bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

"Today’s announcement reaffirms what we have known all along; American beef is safe. The United States has the safeguards in place to ensure the security of beef and beef products from cattle of all ages for trade. This designation puts pressure on our trading partners like China, Japan and Korea to remove their arbitrary barriers to U.S. beef and resume full trade based on internationally recognized scientific standards."

Senator Roberts is a key member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture Nutrition and Forestry and the Senate Committee on Finance which has jurisdiction on all trade agreements.