Posted on 02/09/2007 8:55:34 AM PST by B4Ranch
R-CALF: Latest BSE Case Leaves Little Doubt: Canada Has a Problem
Billings, Mont. – On Wednesday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced yet another case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) discovered in a “mature bull” in Alberta.
“Although Canadian headlines tend to say this is Canada’s ninth case of BSE, it is important to note that this latest incident is actually the 10th case of BSE in native Canadian cattle, because the BSE-positive cow discovered in Washington state in December 2003 was imported into the U.S. from Canada,” noted R-CALF USA Vice President and Region VI Director Max Thornsberry. “In addition to the 10 native Canadian cases, in December 1993, BE was discovered in a cow imported into Canada from England.
Thornsberry also is a veterinarian and chairs R-CALF USA’s Animal Health Committee.
“This demonstrates just how ridiculous and premature it is for our government to be considering even further relaxations of our import standards that would allow into the U.S. imports of Canadian cattle older than 30 months (OTM) of age, as well as the government’s intention to allow into the U.S. beef products from Canadian cattle of any age,” Thornsberry continued. “OTM cattle in a BSE-affected country bear an inherently higher risk for the disease, so R-CALF calls for the immediate withdrawal of this proposed rule.
“Furthermore, in light of the clear ongoing problem with BSE in Canada, we question whether Canada meets the regulatory requirements of a so-called ‘BSE Minimal Risk Region’ under the regulations issued by USDA in January 2005 regarding imports of cattle and beef from countries affected by this disease,” Thornsberry emphasized.
R-CALF USA currently has an appeal before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in litigation filed by cattle producers in January 2005, which challenges the regulations issued by USDA as arbitrary and capricious, and not based on what scientists actually know about BSE. If R-CALF USA is successful in court with this challenge against USDA, the agency will be forced to address the problem of BSE in Canadian cattle and reduce the chance of spreading the disease in the United States.
“Canada is still not doing sufficient BSE testing to ascertain the magnitude of its problem with this disease,” added R-CALF USA Region II Director Randy Stevenson, who also co-chairs the R-CALF USA Marketing Committee. “Because we don’t already have COOL (country-of-origin labeling), and because we are currently commingling Canadian cattle and beef with U.S. cattle and beef, this case will further complicate U.S. efforts to restore beef export markets lost since 2003.”
“Additionally, Canada has not yet implemented improvements to its 1997 feed ban, which were announced in July 2006, despite the obvious and increasing evidence of the widespread exposure of Canadian cattle to this disease,” said R-CALF USA Region VII Director Eric Nelson. “Canada has had four known cases of BSE born after the 1997 implementation of its original feed ban, three of which were known to have been born years later.”
BSE-infected Animal May Have Been Born After Canadian Feed Ban
http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?contentid=104708
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I think what they are really finding are just the Liberal cows. :)
No joke.
America has more problems with contaminated vegetables than we do contaminated meat. Are you a PETA member?
It's illegal to test and sell "certified test beef" in the USA. But not illegal to do so in Australia or New Zealand. That's why they sell to Japan. Sterilization for prions is nearly impossbile and a significant number of "alzhiemers"cases aren't autopsied due to instrument contamination issues. Better safe than sorry. Eat Bison from clean processors. IT's safer.
I wish more Canadians would read about the findings of Shiv Chopra, Margaret Haydon, Gérard Lambert from 2002, their recommendations, and the LIBERAL PARTY'S response (to fire the whisleblowers). Perhaps there would be a little more debate, understanding, and OUTRAGE regarding the so called "Canadian Mad Cow Crisis."
This is serious, serious, serious. Being a vegetarian, I really don't give a shit about the beef industry, but this could kill an awful lot of people, and do it so very HORRIBLY!
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