US Mad Cow compliance questioned

[SASH]

Mad cow compliance questioned
By RANDY FABI
Reuters News Service

WASHINGTON - The effectiveness of the most important U.S. safeguard against mad cow disease was questioned Monday when a government report accused the Food and Drug Administration of overstating feed mill compliance with a ban on cattle remains in animal feed.

The Government Accountability Office report was released as many U.S. lawmakers seek to prevent Canadian cattle from entering the United States because of concerns that its neighbor was not effectively enforcing its own animal feed ban.

In 1997, the United States and Canada both outlawed the use of cattle remains as a protein supplement for cattle, goats and sheep to prevent the spread of mad cow disease, a common name for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE.

Canada found two more cases of mad cow disease as 2005 began, and both are believed to be a result of infected feed. So far, the United States has found only one case of mad cow disease, in a Washington state cow imported from Canada.

The GAO said the FDA, which regulates livestock feed, cannot pinpoint how many plants comply with the 1997 feed ban.

"We believe FDA is overstating industry's compliance with the animal feed ban and understating the potential risk of BSE for U.S. cattle in its reports to Congress and the American people," the GAO report said.

The FDA has repeatedly claimed that the industry has a 99 percent compliance rate with the 1997 ban.

Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee who requested the GAO report, criticized the FDA for not testing livestock feed. "Common sense tells us the best way to measure compliance is to sample feed to make sure it does not contain ruminant byproducts," Harkin said.

An FDA spokeswoman was not available for comment.

[don]

you can see from the lack of response this is not a sginificant issue. lol.

[Oldtimer]

[don]

oh and here i thought the issue was poor compliance. turns out it's bureaucratic infighting. sorry.

[Brad S]

The report is unmistakable with reguards to Canadian compliance, merely overtly suspicous with reguards to US compliance. Sorta curious the Canadians would jerkoff to this report.

[don]

Sorta curious the Canadians would jerkoff to this report

naw that would be bill o'reilly.

[Brad S]

I knew some Canadian's could be a bit randy, but Don suggesting jerking off to Bill O'Reilly is kinda lewd. I'm gonna pretend you went back to cheering for bse to wreck the US market, and ignore you and bill.

[don]

funny that you thought of the jerkin' off. never crossed my mind but once you brought up the topic i thought it might make bill o'reilly's news report. keep up the happy thoughts.

[don]

i wish to apologize and retract my last posting. i know many people would be offended by it and retract it.

[Brad S]

"but once you brought up the topic "


Brought up the topic hell, I call em as I sees em, and this thread is yet another thread where some CAnadians want to gratify themselves with news that can be construed as negative towards the US beef industry.

Gratify yourself away Don, I didn't mean to interrupt.

[Brad S]

Let's be clear that we're describing a minority of Canadians, and what the hell, we have haymaker (sorry haymaker I couldn't resist.) We Americans have plenty that are taunting the Canadians - who are justifiably shortwired

[Oldtimer]

Report
on U.S. Management of Cattle Feed Ban


(Billings, Mont.) – The following statement should be attributed to Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA, regarding a General Accountability Office (GAO) report issued on Monday, and titled “Mad Cow Disease: FDA’s Management of the Feed Ban Has Improved, but Oversight Weaknesses Continue to Limit Program Effectiveness”:



“R-CALF USA has repeatedly called on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to strengthen the U.S. cattle feed ban before considering any relaxation of the United States’ ban on the importation of any cattle or beef from countries with bovine spongiform encephalopathy. This request is consistent with the Scientific recommendations made both by USDA scientists and international scientists.



“The USDA’s own scientific team, the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) Working Group, recommended that before cattle and beef trade is resumed with Canada, high-risk tissues should be removed from animal food; feed mills that process ruminant products should be dedicated; and blood, poultry litter and plate waste should be removed from animal feed.



“The GAO report specifically reinforces the need for USDA to begin adhering to the recommendations of its own scientists.



“Further, the International Review Team (IRT), comprised of internationally renown scientists and convened by USDA to provide scientific advice regarding an appropriate U.S. response to BSE concluded in February 2004 that ‘. . . the partial (ruminant to ruminant feed ban that is currently in place is insufficient to prevent the exposure of cattle to the BSE agent.’



“This GAO report, combined with previous USDA and international scientific recommendations, demonstrates the compelling need for USDA to cease its efforts to prematurely reopen the Canadian border. Reopening the Canadian border presents a risk of introducing BSE from Canada. Until USDA begins to follow these recommendations, the U.S. certainly shouldn’t take any chances on the possibility of introducing BSE into our domestic herd from a Canadian animal.”



# # #



R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) represents thousands of U.S. cattle producers on domestic and international trade and marketing issues. R-CALF USA, a national, non-profit organization, is dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. R-CALF USA’s membership consists primarily of cow-calf operators, cattle backgrounders, and feedlot owners. Its members – over 13,000 strong – are located in 45 states, and the organization has over 57 local and state association affiliates, from both cattle and farm organizations. Various main street businesses are associate members of R-CALF USA. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516.