Canada hopes to mute calls from a growing number of US lawmakers, farm groups and consumer advocates to keep US borders closed to Canadian cattle. The only US case of mad cow disease, discovered in December 2003, was from a dairy cow imported from Canada.

"We went to great lengths to dispel and put into context a lot of misinformation ... that have challenged, in the minds of some, the competency of our food safety and inspection system," Evans told reporters.

Evans said he had received assurances from the US Agriculture Department the United States would stick to its plan to reopen its borders to young Canadian cattle beginning March 7.

"At this point, everything that we have put into place remains on track," Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman told reporters at a separate event.

The USDA plans to send a technical team to Canada within the next 10 days to assess the new cases and evaluate the country's animal feed system, Evans said. Canada believes its three mad cow cases were due to cattle eating infected feed.

The USDA aims to complete its review before March 7, Evans said.

Evans also said the Canada beef trade rule should be kept separate of other trade disputes.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, fearing a drop in cattle prices, said on Sunday Canadian cattle should be barred until Tokyo and Seoul end their bans on US beef, imposed because of America's own case of mad cow disease last year.