COLOMBIA: Mexico Suspends Dairy Imports Due To Foot-and-mouth Disease

(RTTNews) - Mexico's National Service of Health, Safety and Agro-Food Quality (SENASICA) decided to suspend processed dairy products imports from Colombia after the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) removed the foot-and-mouth disease free zone from the South American country.

The Mexican agency said that it seeks to protect its agrifood heritage from exotic pests and diseases that do not exist in its territory and could jeopardize food production in Mexico.

Mexico's decision came after Colombia reported two new foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks, now in the department (state) of Cundinamarca, where six dairy processing plants were authorized to export their products to Mexico.

In June, Chile, Peru, Panama, and Ecuador suspended their meat imports from Colombia after the country's Agricultural and Livestock Institute (ICA) reported the detection of a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Arauca and Casanares, the first since 2009 within its borders.