• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

BSE Test- Listen to the Customer

A

Anonymous

Guest
BSE test – listen to the customer



John Munsell

President, Montana Quality Foods & Processing

Manager, Foundation for Accountability in Regulatory Enforcement (FARE)

July 14, 2006

Miles City, MT



The discovery of BSE in a 50-month old Canadian animal again reveals the efficacy of a high degree of BSE testing. Previous USDA and CFIA thinking was based on the false assumption that the incubation period was much longer than 50 months, so why regularly test 50-month old animals? Much has yet to be learned about BSE, its cause, length of incubation, potential ability to spread in a heard, and methods of detection. We DO know how it negatively impacts foreign trade. Until more evidence is compiled, the best way to maintain or increase consumer confidence is a high level of testing.



The cattle industry desires to increase consumer consumption of its delectable product. That laudable goal is not aided by diminished BSE testing, which recently had been USDA's goal. If our domestic herd is indeed close to being "BSE free", we have nothing to hide because of the effectiveness of our multiple feed ban firewalls. But then, Canada had been making the same claim one week ago, especially realizing its feed ban is supposedly more restrictive than ours.



Our unfortunate experience with hesitant Japanese consumers continues to point out the fact that marketers must provide what the purchaser wants to buy, not what the seller desires to produce. USDA demands that Japan, South Korea et al purchase USA meat which has diminished BSE testing, and is commingled with Canadian beef in the total absence of source verification evidence. COOL implementation would go a long way to reopen our markets.



America does have some meat processing plants which are willing to provide increased BSE testing and segregate USA beef from Canadian beef. USDA however is unwilling to allow these plants to provide customized services to willing consumers because of allegedly "scientific" justifications. As history continues to unfold, Canada and USA will undoubtedly detect more BSE positives (if USDA allows the testing), guaranteeing more pressure from our increasingly doubtful international trading partners. If we EVER want to reopen our export beef markets, USDA needs to comply with basic marketing principles which demand we produce what the consumer demands.



USDA should not be basing its policies merely to protect the interests of a handful of packers who demand the right to export their products in the absence of safeguards demanded by potential customers. We should be reaching critical mass in which the USDA assigns more credibility to the demands of our potentially lucrative foreign markets than to a handful of domestic packers.



We shouldn't have to reinvent this wheel for another five years.



Source: John Munsell, President, Montana Quality Foods & Processing

Manager, Foundation for Accountability in Regulatory Enforcement (FARE)
 

PORKER

Well-known member
America does have some meat processing plants which are willing to provide increased BSE testing and segregate USA beef from Canadian beef.

Makes you wonder how much more cattlemens money will be thrown away for not testing for BSE ????
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Sat, Jul. 15, 2006

Creekstone files for OK to test for mad cow
BY ALAN BJERGA
Eagle Washington bureau
WASHINGTON - The chief executive and founder of Creekstone Farms said Friday that even if Japan accepts U.S. beef, his company should still be allowed to test all its cattle for mad cow disease to help grow the Japanese market.

Testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy "will help us instill confidence in our consumers," said John Stewart of Arkansas City-based Creekstone. "We still know that consumers there are skittish on U.S. beef."

Creekstone filed for summary judgment in its suit against the U.S. Agriculture Department in federal court Friday, arguing that the government has no right to keep the company from testing its cattle for mad cow disease.

The USDA has until Aug. 25 to respond to Creekstone's filing.

The USDA has kept Creekstone from testing, saying it controls testing and citing scientific evidence that Creekstone would test cattle too young to register a reliable result. Stewart said the science on testing is "too young, and it's unproven" to conclude that.

Mad cow continues to be a concern in the global beef industry. Canadian health officials confirmed Thursday that a seventh case of mad cow disease has been found in that country, in a 50-month-old dairy cow from Alberta.

Except for a brief re-opening this winter, Japan has been closed to U.S. beef since the disease was found in an American cow in December 2003.
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Just Ask the Judge which 2 sticks of beef jerky he would like to taste as their is a unmarked one is from a bse animal !!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Porker: "Just Ask the Judge which 2 sticks of beef jerky he would like to taste as their is a unmarked one is from a bse animal !!!!!!!!!!!!!"

What a ridiculous analogy!

If both beef jerky sticks were from cattle under 24 months of age, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IN CREEKSTONE'S CASE, neither would have revealed BSE EVEN IF THEY WERE TESTED.


~SH~
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
~SH~ said:
Porker: "Just Ask the Judge which 2 sticks of beef jerky he would like to taste as their is a unmarked one is from a bse animal !!!!!!!!!!!!!"

What a ridiculous analogy!

If both beef jerky sticks were from cattle under 24 months of age, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IN CREEKSTONE'S CASE, neither would have revealed BSE EVEN IF THEY WERE TESTED.


~SH~

What concern is it of yours what Creekstone and their customers agree on? Are they hurting you or yours? Why do you think you or anybody else should have a say? I thought you were for free enterprise? You've called others liberals and bashed them for being Democrats when you're the most vocal one here defending the most Ted Kennedy-esque actions of the USDA that I've ever seen.
 

mrj

Well-known member
Geeeez, Sandhusker, did someone at USDA get looped on something and drown a young woman while attempting to keep himself above prosecution...... and I missed that 'news' ?????


MRJ
 

Mike

Well-known member
MRJ said:
Geeeez, Sandhusker, did someone at USDA get looped on something and drown a young woman while attempting to keep himself above prosecution...... and I missed that 'news' ?????


MRJ

Mary Jo Creekstone...........haven't you heard of her? :lol: :lol:
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
MRJ said:
Geeeez, Sandhusker, did someone at USDA get looped on something and drown a young woman while attempting to keep himself above prosecution...... and I missed that 'news' ?????


MRJ

I think you missed the point entirely, MRJ......no wait, I KNOW you missed the point entirely.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Sandbag: "What concern is it of yours what Creekstone and their customers agree on?"

BSE testing cattle under 24 months of age with bse tests that will not reveal bse prions in cattle under 24 months of age is "CONSUMER FRAUD" and sells an "ILLUSION OF SAFETY".

I oppose consumer fraud.

You support consumer fraud.


Sandbag: "Are they hurting you or yours?"

Consumer fraud affects everyone.



Sandbag: "Why do you think you or anybody else should have a say?"

Food safety is a government issue. That is precisely why we have an FDA rather than allowing private companies to sell drugs that have not met FDA approval.


Sandbag: "I thought you were for free enterprise?"

Using your stupid logic, I should support legalizing marijuana since not allowing the sale of marijuana is not supporting the free enterprise. Same empty logic.


Sandbag: "You've called others liberals and bashed them for being Democrats when you're the most vocal one here defending the most Ted Kennedy-esque actions of the USDA that I've ever seen."

Hahaha! Listen to you! The "middle of the roader" that has to take a "populist" position at any cost regardless what the facts say. You bet Sandbag. The only thing to be found in the middle of the road is dead skunks, "YELLOW" lines, and you.


~SH~
 

Mike

Well-known member
BSE testing cattle under 24 months of age with bse tests that will not reveal bse prions in cattle under 24 months of age is "CONSUMER FRAUD" and sells an "ILLUSION OF SAFETY".

Those poor Japanese people are being held under an illusion of safety and being defrauded. Call out the "United Nations"!

How dare they test all their cattle and hold their OWN people under such disgusting terms as these!

Where's the Consumer Fraud or Illusion Patrol? "CFIP" :lol: :lol:
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
SH, "BSE testing cattle under 24 months of age with bse tests that will not reveal bse prions in cattle under 24 months of age is "CONSUMER FRAUD" and sells an "ILLUSION OF SAFETY". I oppose consumer fraud. You support consumer fraud."

How can there be fraud when the person supposedly being defrauded is making the terms? :shock: :lol: You don't even know what fraud means.
For there to be fraud, the customer would have to be deliberately mislead, and that is NOT the case here.

I support free enterprise. I say that if a customer and a supplier have an agreement and nobody outside of that agreement is hurt, and no laws are bring violated, then there is no reason for government to get in the way. You seem to think Government has to OK every transaction. How liberal of you. Maybe you should set up your gopher eradication business in Massachusetts - there's more of your folk there.

SH, "Food safety is a government issue."

You are absolutely correct. The US government is in charge of our food safety and the Japanese government is in charge of their food safety. Creekstone's product was heading to Japan.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Sandbag: "How can there be fraud when the person supposedly being defrauded is making the terms?"

Those consumers who support BSE testing believe that "BSE TESTED" means "BSE FREE" which is not supported by the science of bse testing. THAT IS FRAUD!

Creekstone admits that "BSE TESTED" does not mean "BSE FREE" but did they offer to include that disclaimer on the package? OF COURSE NOT! Because they are deceivers just like you. You can relate.


Sandbag: "For there to be fraud, the customer would have to be deliberately mislead, and that is NOT the case here."

That is the case here. Nobody would request "BSE TESTED" beef if they did not think it meant "BSE FREE".

You support consumer fraud, I don't! That's the difference.

You are an "ILLUSIONIST" and a "DECEIVER" so naturally this would fall right into your normal agenda.

If some Japanese consumers are asking for it, it's justified in your mind. Whether or not they are getting what they think they are getting is irrelevant to you. I'd expect nothing less from a deceiver like you. You have no integrity and you've proven it time and time again.


~SH~
 

Mike

Well-known member
~SH~ said:
Sandbag: "How can there be fraud when the person supposedly being defrauded is making the terms?"

Those consumers who support BSE testing believe that "BSE TESTED" means "BSE FREE" which is not supported by the science of bse testing. THAT IS FRAUD!

Creekstone admits that "BSE TESTED" does not mean "BSE FREE" but did they offer to include that disclaimer on the package? OF COURSE NOT! Because they are deceivers just like you.


~SH~

Scott, You want to talk about FRAUD"?

The ncba and AMI wanted to label USA beef as "BSE FREE" WITHOUT a test!!! :lol: :lol:


Honorable Ann M. Veneman
Secretary of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Washington, D.C. 20250

Dear Secretary Veneman:

As you know, the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Japan is continuing to contribute to a huge market loss for U.S. beef exporters, processors and producers. This dramatic drop in exports is, of course, being translated into significantly lower U.S. cattle prices and contributing to an overall decline in U.S. agricultural exports.

All facets of the beef industry have worked closely in an effort to restore Japanese consumer confidence and revitalize this market. USDA officials have been extremely cooperative and have provided excellent information and representation on this issue both in the U.S. and Japan. The entire industry is extremely appreciative of these efforts.

The technical information supplied by USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has been helpful in providing assurance to the Japanese meat trade that US beef products are safe. We also very much appreciate the work done by the Department, including your personal involvement, in connection with the recently released Harvard Risk Assessment.

Our beef exports to Japan, however, continue to be severely depressed. To assist in restoring confidence in U.S. beef, Japanese importers of our beef have strongly recommended that a formal "BSE Free" statement be included on all export certificates issued for shipments of U.S. beef to Japan. The U.S. beef industry fully agrees with this recommendation.

Accordingly, we request that USDA provide appropriate language on all export certificates indicating that rigorous monitoring and testing have demonstrated that BSE is not present in the U.S. cattle herd. We are confident that the inclusion of such a statement on each export certificate will help restore Japanese consumer confidence in U.S. beef, rebuild this critically important market, and strengthen U.S. cattle prices.

Thank you for the support you have provided. We would greatly appreciate your assistance on this additional matter.

Sincerely,



American Meat Institute
National Cattlemen's Beef Association
U.S. Meat Export Federation

December 10, 2001
 

RobertMac

Well-known member
~SH~ said:
Sandbag: "How can there be fraud when the person supposedly being defrauded is making the terms?"

Those consumers who support BSE testing believe that "BSE TESTED" means "BSE FREE" which is not supported by the science of bse testing. THAT IS FRAUD!

Creekstone admits that "BSE TESTED" does not mean "BSE FREE" but did they offer to include that disclaimer on the package? OF COURSE NOT! Because they are deceivers just like you. You can relate.


Sandbag: "For there to be fraud, the customer would have to be deliberately mislead, and that is NOT the case here."

That is the case here. Nobody would request "BSE TESTED" beef if they did not think it meant "BSE FREE".

You support consumer fraud, I don't! That's the difference.

You are an "ILLUSIONIST" and a "DECEIVER" so naturally this would fall right into your normal agenda.

If some Japanese consumers are asking for it, it's justified in your mind. Whether or not they are getting what they think they are getting is irrelevant to you. I'd expect nothing less from a deceiver like you. You have no integrity and you've proven it time and time again.


~SH~

Is organic beef consumer fraud?
 
Top