Another Mad Cow Suspected Cases

[grassfarmer]

Only a big issue for a few protectionist parties in the US. There is not and has never been a consumer confidence issue with beef in North America despite RCALFs best attempts. The were many, many cases of post feed ban BSE in Europe and it's all history now. No one cares - move on.

[Willowcreek]

Yep- you help to prove it definitely is as Professor Charlebois says

"" a business as usual" tack prevailing in the industry and in the Canadian policy approach since the initial crisis"....

[jensend]

so willowcreek should usda be reducing test numbers? if this article and all your assumptions are accurate i would think in light of all the canadian cattle imported by the us that you should be increasing test numbers. if the us is bse free as you all contend then canada must not have much bse either or you'd be finding it in your herd. something doesn't add up here. i think you keep on proving that america is lying about bse in its herd. since r-calf is intent on consumer protection and confidence you should be advocating testing all otm's. get bs bill on the case.

[InAHurry]

Jensend, you reminded me of something....

Collection of brain sampling temporarily suspended
by John Gregerson on 8/29/2006 for Meatingplace.com

Inspection program personnel will halt brain sample collection under the previsions of a recently released Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) notice.

FSIS Notice 52-06, "Temporary Suspension of Provision in the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Ongoing Surveillance Program," issued on Aug. 25, 2006, informed inspection personnel to stop collecting brain samples under the provisions of FSIS Notice 51-06, "Sample Collection from Cattle Under the BSE Ongoing Surveillance Program," issued on Aug. 23, 2006, Paragraph II A.

A subsequent FSIS Notice will be issued to inspection personnel when sample collection is to resume.
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Perhaps Willowcreek would like to comment ......

[Willowcreek]

I disagree with USDA's plan to cut back on testing..I don't think they have reached that point yet- especially now that it appears that some of the UTM's Canada is sending south could be coming across the line infected and be manifesting the disease enough to be dangerous and to show on the test.....For this reason I also think the FDA needs to quickly close some of the feedban loopholes they've been allowing the Packer/Dairy industry lobbying to stall...

I also believe USDA/CFIA should be allowing private entities (Creekstone etal) to test- and to market their product as BSE tested..

And Canada should definitely be testing all OTM's until the disease is eradicated- indicatable by a time period (year) of no positives....

[grassfarmer]

"especially now that it appears that some of the UTM's Canada is sending south could be coming across the line infected and be manifesting the disease enough to be dangerous and to show on the test"

Whaaaatttt????? first of all it's not infectious and secondly what tests are any UTM cattle in Canada showing up on??

[Willowcreek]

Many of the scientists are now suggesting that the potency of the infectivity in the 50 month old to have it manifest itself at that young age and test positive indicates that the disease could be manifesting itself and appearing in cattle under 30 months old...And we know from world wide statistics that dozens of under thirty months have been found- down to as young as 21 months- in the UK, Europe, and Japan....

Thats what has some asking the question- How many infected cattle are being imported daily from Canada? How many of them are manifesting infectivity of the disease at time of slaughter?

[grassfarmer]

"the potency of the infectivity in the 50 month old" - yeah right, what is that and who has access to that information. What a bunch of Bull@#%$

[grassfarmer]

Of the 41 million animals tested in Europe (including the UK) since 2000 there have only been 4 BSE cases under the age of 35 months and none under 30 months.
That's fairly low risk even by RCALF standards.

[silverback]

I guess we better stop allowing US cattle into Canada because how would we know if they might be infected?