The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) says Finland is free of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The organisation made the announcement at its annual general meeting in Paris on Tuesday.
The declaration means the risk of mad cow disease in Finland is miniscule.
According to Jaana Husu-Kallio, the director of the Finnish Food Safety Authority, the announcement offers Finland an edge in exporting meat outside the EU. Only nine other countries share the BSE-free status with Finland.
She adds that Finland may be able to cut back on testing of the disease due to the declaration. However, that decision has to be made by the EU. According to Husu-Kallio, the onus is now on Finland to show that testing could be reduced without harming food safety.
A total of 172 countries belong to the OIE, ten of which have received the top-level classification of being free of BSE. Sweden, Norway and Iceland also received the classification on Tuesday.
Finland and Sweden are the only EU members to have received the top-level status. However, the risk of BSE in Bulgaria and Romania is pending on more information from those countries. Major meat producers Brazil and the United States have not achieved the top-level classification from the OIE.
One case of mad cow disease was detected in Finland in 2001. After the incident, Finland began widespread testing for the disease.
Currently, tests are carried out on all slaughtered animals over the age of 2.5, as well as on all cattle less than two years that are ill or butchered due to emergency situations.
The OIE is under the authority of the WTO.