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U.S. fighting to stop private mad cow testing 5-13-08
The Bush administration on Friday asked a federal appeals court to stop
meatpackers from testing all their animals for mad cow disease, USA Today
reports.
A low court ruled early that Kansas-based Creekstone Farms Premium Beef can
conduct mad cow disease testing in all animals. The company pursues the testing
to meet the demand from foreign markets like Japan, which requires the testing
for every domestic cow.
But the United States Department of Agriculture strongly opposed such a testing
saying meatpackers have no right to such a testing. And it also said such a
testing would undermine consumers’ confidence in domestic beef safety.
Creekstone Farms sued the government and won the first round in a low court.
In May 2007, Consumer Unions wrote to the USDA asking the agency not to appeal
the March 29, 2007 low court ruling. Regardless, the government appealed to a
federal appeals court to block the low court’s ruling that allows the meatpacker
to conduct the test.
In the United States, less than 1 % of slaughtered cows are tested for mad cow
disease under the USDA guidelines, according to USA Today. USDA argued that
widespread testing does not guarantee food safety and could cause false positive
results that scare consumers.
"They want to create false assurances," Justice Department attorney Eric Flesig-Greene
was quoted as telling a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
D.C. Circuit.
Creekstone attorney Russell Frye argued that the USDA's regulations covering the
treatment of domestic animals contain no prohibition against any meatpacker's
testing for mad cow disease because the test is performed only after a cow is
slaughtered.
In addition, Frye said that the agency has no right to prevent individual
companies from using the test to reassure their customers. "This is the
government telling the consumers, 'You're not entitled to this information,"'
Frye was quoted by USA Today as saying.
Chief Judge David Sentelle seemed to agree with the meatpacker's argument that
the mad cow testing would not interfere with the agency's regulations governing
the treatment of animals. Sentelle was quoted as saying "All they want to do is
create information."
Larger meatpackers opposed the mad cow testing by Creekstone Farms arguing that
Creekstone's testing would force them to conduct their own tests, which would
lead to an increase in the beef price by a few cents per pound.
But the increased price may not be an issue with the consumers.
In the letter addressed to Secretary of Agriculture, Michael Hansen, Ph.D., a
scientist with Consumers Union wrote "According to a Consumers Union national
survey carried out in January 2004, some 71% of the public supported testing of
cattle for BSE and, of those, some 95% were willing to spend 10 cents more per
pound of meat to buy tested meat."
No long ago this year, at least one downer cow was reportedly processed into
beef the government used for school luncheon program, triggering nationwide
massive recall of beef. Downers are known to have high odds of carrying mad cow
disease.
Eating beef contaminated with mad cow disease can cause human version of mad cow
disease. There is no cure for the disease. However, there is no solid statistics
to show how many people in the United States actually suffer and die each year
from the disease because this disease can only be diagnosed by postmortem
biopsy, which is not always conducted, and even if there is any case, doctors
and hospitals are not required to report it to the government.
Comment:
It should be an eye-opener that less than 1% off beef is tested for mad cow disease! If this new law causes more companies to test for their own financial gain this is good for everyone. A much larger percent will get tested. We should be testing 100% of cows like England or Australia; countries who take this alot more seriously. I am very concerned that most cases of dementia or Alzheimer's Disease is really miss-diagnosed Crutzfelt Jacob's disease form mad cow prions.
No beef in the USA is promised to be tested for mad cow. How can you avoid eating Mad Cow Tainted Beef?
1. Don't Buy any Beef! Buy buffalo (bison), elk, ostrich, or other beef tasting red meets.
2. If you must buy beef, buy if from Blackwing. All their beef is guaranteed no downers, grass feed, humanely treated, and routinely tested for Mad Cow. Not to mention the price is lower than Whole Foods and most other chains and the quality is so much better you won't ever want any other meat.
3. Never microwave any meats; but especially beef. Studies have shown that microwaving creates prions in beef if that beef already contained Mad Cow. Studies have also shown that microwaving can plasticize your food and your intestines!
4. Cook all beef to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees!
5. Make sure your meats have no other contact with other foods form the store to the table. When buying meat, put the package in a plastic bag (bring some from the produce isle if there isn't any in the meat section). Then wash hands with sanitizing gel! Keep meat separate from all other food. If you use reusable totes please wash them after every shopping trip and mark bags for their use. We write with permanent marker in each bag: meat, produce, frozen, HBA, pet ect..
6. Use disinfecting spray anywhere blood or fluids spill at home or in the car.