"USDA remains confident that the animal and public health measures that Canada has in place, including the removal of specified risk material (SRMs) from the human food chain, a ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban, a national surveillance program and import restrictions, combined with existing US domestic safeguards and the additional safeguards announced as part of USDA's BSE minimal-risk rule announced December 29, provide the utmost protections to US consumers and livestock," he said.