Mad Cow Risk in the U.S.?

[texastoast]

So Canadians, what say ye about this portion of an email I received from Food & Water Watch? There is an action link below if you wish to comment.


The 2003 discovery of the first case of mad cow disease in the United States cast serious doubts on years of reassurances from the meat industry and the USDA that it couldn't happen here. Now the USDA and the big meat companies want consumers to believe them again. We need your help to keep Mad Cow Disease out of the U.S.

For the last three years, the USDA has been trying to open the border to Canadian cattle over the age of thirty months. This is significant because older cattle (those over thirty months of age) are considered to be at higher risk for having Mad Cow Disease and therefore pose a greater risk if they enter the food supply. Canada has had 13 cases of Mad Cow Disease, the most recent of which was discovered in June.

So why would the United States take older, high risk cattle from a country known to have a significant prevalence of this disease? The meat companies want to be able to source cattle from wherever they are the cheapest, which is often Canada.


http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/t/741/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26231

[Brazenly Liberal]

1. Oh, no problem. I can see where the mistake is.

Someone is assuming the US wants to identify and eliminate Mad Cow.

This is not true. What we want to do is pretend it out of existence. While little Georgie and his gang pray the gay away, they ask their god to send Mad Cow along with it and then assume it's taken care of.

While other countries test up to 100% of their cows, we test very few and try to keep the results as quiet as possible. When a case of Mad Cow is found, we immediately assure everyone it is an isolated incident and then reduce the number of cows tested. Private beef producers, by the way, are not permitted to test their own cows. You get a government test or no test, which works out most of the time to no test.

So sure, we'll take whatever dodgey cows are hanging out near the border there. Our policy, Don't Test Don't Tell will take care of any problems.

[Greyhound]

5. Excellent summation. n/t

[Turbineguy]

2. I think this is one of

the Bush Administration landmines. Unlike the financial meltdown, they will probably succeed in keeping this at bay a little while longer.

[ensho]

3. mad cow is happening but they call it something else or deny

man breasts are here too.

[Quantess]

4. Of course there is.

Think of all those countries that have an import ban on US beef. They feel they have a good reason to avoid US beef.

[valerief]

6. Debeef yourself. It's the only protection. Avoid non-veggie soup and Jell-o. nt

[ensho]

8. yes don't eat jello

nt

[LeftyMom]

7. "We need your help to keep Mad Cow Disease out of the U.S." LOL!

Hey, look at all them cows! How'd they get out? Quick, close the barn door!