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BSE Testing for Food Safety

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Mike

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There has been much discussion here on the "Food Safety" issue of testing for BSE. Common sense tells us if an animal is prevented from entering the food chain by means of a BSE test, we can only agree that the testing adds to "Food Safety", but not for food safety alone. Testing also is used for surveillance.
The European Commission on Food Safety agrees:
(From the EFSA Website)
__________________________________________________________
For what purpose can the tests be used?

Tests may be used for surveillance and also to provide additional protection for the consumer.

1. Surveillance

Tests can be used to determine if BSE exists in a population and to obtain an indication of its prevalence. Used over time these can be used to monitor changes in the level of the disease. This type of surveillance can be carried out by testing risk groups of animals, especially cows which have died on farms or cows presented for emergency slaughter. If BSE occurs, it is more likely to be found in this population so the sampling is more effective. Actively searching for the disease in this manner is more likely to detect it in a population (if it exists there) than passive monitoring, i.e. waiting for farmers to report suspicious signs.

The European Union will apply such a testing programme amongst its "at-risk" population on all animals over 30 months from 1.1.2001 onwards.

2. Additional Health protection

BSE is a relatively rare disease. However, routine testing of animals prior to slaughter may detect animals presented for slaughter which may have unnoticed signs of BSE and also animals with the disease which are not yet showing signs. The identification and removal of these animals will be an additional protection for the consumer. However, the prime method of consumer protection is the removal of specified risk material like brain or spinal cord from every animal slaughtered. These tissues harbour almost all infectivity if any present. Removal of specific risk materials is obligatory in the EU since 1.10.2000.

PrPres is always found in brain and central nervous tissue in animals with clinical signs of the disease and in animals in the months before they develop the disease. Its presence in cattle appears to parallel the development of infectivity.

The EU will apply such a testing programme on all bovine animals over 30 months of age from 1.7.2001 onwards. Until then, all animals over 30 months which cannot be tested will need to be destroyed.
 
But to sell beef by saying it is BSE free because we tested it is a sham. Because
BSE is a relatively rare disease. However, routine testing of animals prior to slaughter may detect animals presented for slaughter which may have unnoticed signs of BSE and also animals with the disease which are not yet showing signs.
This is why we rely on
the prime method of consumer protection is the removal of specified risk material like brain or spinal cord from every animal slaughtered. These tissues harbour almost all infectivity if any present.
 
Tam said:
But to sell beef by saying it is BSE free because we tested it is a sham. Because
BSE is a relatively rare disease. However, routine testing of animals prior to slaughter may detect animals presented for slaughter which may have unnoticed signs of BSE and also animals with the disease which are not yet showing signs.
This is why we rely on
the prime method of consumer protection is the removal of specified risk material like brain or spinal cord from every animal slaughtered. These tissues harbour almost all infectivity if any present.

Some are requiring an over-abundance of caution when you are playing with the lives of their children. Think about it Tam, are you too cautious about what your children eat?
Why risk one life, and limit your market base over an arguable precaution?
 
My kids are everything to me, you bet I'm "over cautious" when it comes to them. I support testing at least a whole lot more at least for quite a while more until we all find out exactly what we have in these herds, then maybe a little more research then maybe we can cool it with the testing. Right now we don't even know all that well what we're dealing with. Where it comes from, how it's spread...
What could you possibly say to yourself if you lost one of your kids to a BSE related illness that may have been prevented with a few more tests... I'm just saying "what if" for all the you-can't-find-prostate-cancer-in-12-year-olds-yet guys out there. And I agree with that but that's just it, they can't find it YET, a little more research could go a long way. I'd like to err on the side of caution until then. Have a good day all!
 
The markets will decide on testing. Give the consumer the choice. If they want tested beef, let them have it. Just because testing is allowed does not mandate it.
 
reader (the Second) said:
Sandhusker said:
The markets will decide on testing. Give the consumer the choice. If they want tested beef, let them have it. Just because testing is allowed does not mandate it.

I sent my son out with a list to buy organic beef and kosher chicken. Believe me, we would like a choice, he would be back to being a happy beef eater. And that goes for quite a few people I know frankly.

I have to ask you Reader there are experts that say BSE can be caused by the enviroment and then there are some that say it can just happen without cause which I believe both may be true as where did the first ever case come from. That say can you guarantee that BSE will not happen in organic beef? Selling organic beef and guaranteeing that it is BSE free if these causes are correct, could be just as much a sham as sellling under aged beef as tested BSE free beef is. If you believe organic beef is safe why don't you believe under aged tested beef is safe?
 
Mike said:
Tam said:
But to sell beef by saying it is BSE free because we tested it is a sham. Because
BSE is a relatively rare disease. However, routine testing of animals prior to slaughter may detect animals presented for slaughter which may have unnoticed signs of BSE and also animals with the disease which are not yet showing signs.
This is why we rely on
the prime method of consumer protection is the removal of specified risk material like brain or spinal cord from every animal slaughtered. These tissues harbour almost all infectivity if any present.

Some are requiring an over-abundance of caution when you are playing with the lives of their children. Think about it Tam, are you too cautious about what your children eat?
Why risk one life, and limit your market base over an arguable precaution?
If we test all beef is fine with me go for it but what I disagree with is selling it as BSE free because of a test. Guaranteeing the consumer it is BSE free because we tested it is a sham because the test can be wrong. All we will be doing is feeding their sense of security with the test. REMOVING the SRM's is what provides the safer beef not the test. As was said by your post
the prime method of consumer protection is the removal of specified risk material like brain or spinal cord from every animal slaughtered. These tissues harbour almost all infectivity if any present.
Tell us Mike if the USDA tested an animal with the US testing system and the test come back negative would you sit your family down to a feed of cow brains from that tested cow?
 
Time for a reality check:

According the WHO as many as one million people kill themselves every year with 10 to 20 failed attempts; in 2001 this was more than murder and war.

To date there are around 40,000 deaths record from rabies.

To date there are about 150 deaths from BSE.
 
Tam, I never mentioned selling "BSE FREE" beef. You made that up.

READ CAREFULLY: GIVE THE CONSUMER WHAT THEY WANT (IN THIS CASE, JAPAN) AND IN THE MEANTIME FIND THE OTHER CASES THAT MIGHT BE LURKING OUT THERE!
 
Mike said:
Tam, I never mentioned selling "BSE FREE" beef. You made that up.

READ CAREFULLY: GIVE THE CONSUMER WHAT THEY WANT (IN THIS CASE, JAPAN) AND IN THE MEANTIME FIND THE OTHER CASES THAT MIGHT BE LURKING OUT THERE!

Mike Are you one of these that think all consumer believe that the USDA inspected label means US Beef? If you are not then fine but a majority of producers that support the M'COOL bill do believe it and that is why they want M'COOL. So why wouldn't those same consumer believe a BSE test means the Beef is BSE free. Wouldn't the BSE test label be as much of a fraud as many already believe the USDA inspected label is. And if you don't put the label on how will the average consumer know it was tested?
 
Tam said:
Mike said:
Tam, I never mentioned selling "BSE FREE" beef. You made that up.

READ CAREFULLY: GIVE THE CONSUMER WHAT THEY WANT (IN THIS CASE, JAPAN) AND IN THE MEANTIME FIND THE OTHER CASES THAT MIGHT BE LURKING OUT THERE!

Mike Are you one of these that think all consumer believe that the USDA inspected label means US Beef? If you are not then fine but a majority of producers that support the M'COOL bill do believe it and that is why they want M'COOL. So why wouldn't those same consumer believe a BSE test means the Beef is BSE free. Wouldn't the BSE test label be as much of a fraud as many already believe the USDA inspected label is. And if you don't put the label on how will the average consumer know it was tested?

Very simple, Just put "BSE TESTED" on the label. And yes I do think that most consumers think that the USDA label means USA meat.
By the way, the newer tests are very accurate now. Just ask the USDA.
 
By the way, the newer tests are very accurate now. Just ask the USDA

Or the CFIA, they've been using them for quite awhile now, the CFIA are the experienced authority on these tests!
 
reader (the Second) said:
Tam said:
reader (the Second) said:
I sent my son out with a list to buy organic beef and kosher chicken. Believe me, we would like a choice, he would be back to being a happy beef eater. And that goes for quite a few people I know frankly.

I have to ask you Reader there are experts that say BSE can be caused by the enviroment and then there are some that say it can just happen without cause which I believe both may be true as where did the first ever case come from. That say can you guarantee that BSE will not happen in organic beef? Selling organic beef and guaranteeing that it is BSE free if these causes are correct, could be just as much a sham as sellling under aged beef as tested BSE free beef is. If you believe organic beef is safe why don't you believe under aged tested beef is safe?

Tam - if I could put my hands on underage tested beef, I would be happy. If the USDA would allow testing by private companies or would somehow identify beef as tested. Right now, I can only lower my exposure by eating ORGANIC ground beef and steaks. Wow, are organic steaks expensive. I bought a bunch for the 4th of July just now. While I agree that there may well be spontaneous cases, I believe that the larger number (which I still think is a small number) are feed related. Boy do I hope that that is the case. My thinking is based on the dramatic decline in BSE in the UK after the feed ban. Anyway at my age given the long incubation, it's not me I worry about. My kids saw their dad die of this terrible disease and my daughter won't eat any beef and my son will only eat organic. So that's that.
Reader
Didn't you say about a hundred times you husband died of CJD? Do you have any PROOF that CJD is caused by eating beef? If NOT, how can you say your kids saw their dad die of this terrible disease in relations to consuming beef?
 
Mike said:
Tam said:
Mike said:
Tam, I never mentioned selling "BSE FREE" beef. You made that up.

READ CAREFULLY: GIVE THE CONSUMER WHAT THEY WANT (IN THIS CASE, JAPAN) AND IN THE MEANTIME FIND THE OTHER CASES THAT MIGHT BE LURKING OUT THERE!

Mike Are you one of these that think all consumer believe that the USDA inspected label means US Beef? If you are not then fine but a majority of producers that support the M'COOL bill do believe it and that is why they want M'COOL. So why wouldn't those same consumer believe a BSE test means the Beef is BSE free. Wouldn't the BSE test label be as much of a fraud as many already believe the USDA inspected label is. And if you don't put the label on how will the average consumer know it was tested?

Very simple, Just put "BSE TESTED" on the label. And yes I do think that most consumers think that the USDA label means USA meat.
By the way, the newer tests are very accurate now. Just ask the USDA.

You believe the one label means something it doesn't so won't the BSE tested label be the same.? Say something that it doesn't mean like BSE free which again the test can be wrong in younger animals just like we have heard on here many times.
 
Tam said:
reader (the Second) said:
Tam said:
I have to ask you Reader there are experts that say BSE can be caused by the enviroment and then there are some that say it can just happen without cause which I believe both may be true as where did the first ever case come from. That say can you guarantee that BSE will not happen in organic beef? Selling organic beef and guaranteeing that it is BSE free if these causes are correct, could be just as much a sham as sellling under aged beef as tested BSE free beef is. If you believe organic beef is safe why don't you believe under aged tested beef is safe?

Tam - if I could put my hands on underage tested beef, I would be happy. If the USDA would allow testing by private companies or would somehow identify beef as tested. Right now, I can only lower my exposure by eating ORGANIC ground beef and steaks. Wow, are organic steaks expensive. I bought a bunch for the 4th of July just now. While I agree that there may well be spontaneous cases, I believe that the larger number (which I still think is a small number) are feed related. Boy do I hope that that is the case. My thinking is based on the dramatic decline in BSE in the UK after the feed ban. Anyway at my age given the long incubation, it's not me I worry about. My kids saw their dad die of this terrible disease and my daughter won't eat any beef and my son will only eat organic. So that's that.
Reader
Do you have any PROOF that CJD is caused by eating beef? If NOT, how can you say your kids saw their dad die of this terrible disease in relations to consuming beef?

Are you starting to see what I mean here reader?,is there something wrong with this picture ?.............good luck
 
reader (the Second) said:
Tam said:
reader (the Second) said:
Tam - if I could put my hands on underage tested beef, I would be happy. If the USDA would allow testing by private companies or would somehow identify beef as tested. Right now, I can only lower my exposure by eating ORGANIC ground beef and steaks. Wow, are organic steaks expensive. I bought a bunch for the 4th of July just now. While I agree that there may well be spontaneous cases, I believe that the larger number (which I still think is a small number) are feed related. Boy do I hope that that is the case. My thinking is based on the dramatic decline in BSE in the UK after the feed ban. Anyway at my age given the long incubation, it's not me I worry about. My kids saw their dad die of this terrible disease and my daughter won't eat any beef and my son will only eat organic. So that's that.

Tam - CJD and vCJD are not the same disease, or at least what we know so far makes us think that. My husband died of CJD. However the symptoms and the death are nearly identical to vCJD -- which seems highly likely to be due to eating beef -- so why would my kids want to die in the manner that they saw their dad die??? :mad: :mad: :???:

Tam,I find this rude remark uncalled for and insensitive,I believe you owe reader an apology,for being rude and insensitive.......reader has never been rude to you...........good luck :mad:
 
TAM Quote: that it doesn't mean like BSE free which again the test can be wrong in younger animals just like we have heard on here many times.

Would you think for a minute TAM, the animal body if it has 1-or-2 pirons where would think they would reside,the blood?the Muscle where blood flows?,the bones where blood flows? or the tonsils where the blood flows?Kidneys where blood flows?urine where body residues flow?
By not answering TAM I will get it.
 
HAY MAKER said:
reader (the Second) said:
Tam said:
Tam,I find this rude remark uncalled for and insensitive,I believe you owe reader an apology,for being rude and insensitive.......reader has never been rude to you...........good luck :mad:

My goodness, HAY MAKER, please try to control your emoticons. :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

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