Maybe there is a reason that the U.S. "does not have BSE". Could it be the surveillance system? Or lack of? :?
Thanks to some snippets from the CFIA website, here is a history of the Canadian BSE cases. See if anyone can spot a trend???
Case 1 May 2003
This cow was found and condemned at a slaughter plant because she was down. Interestingly she had been delivered to the plant by a former Missouri catfish farmer who had moved to Alberta. :wink:
Case 2 – Dec 2004
Preliminary BSE testing results completed late on December 29, 2004 have identified a suspect 10-year-old dairy cow. The suspect animal was detected through the national surveillance program, (aka - tested on the farm) implemented in co-operation with the provinces and the animal health community. Testing was conducted after the animal was identified as a downer, one of the high-risk categories targeted by the surveillance program.
Case 3 – Jan 2005
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) today announced that Canada’s national surveillance program has detected bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an Alberta beef cow. The infected animal was detected through the recently enhanced national surveillance program. (aka - tested on the farm)
Case 4 – Jan 2006
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) today confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an approximately six-year-old cross-bred cow born and raised in Alberta. No part of the animal entered the human food or animal feed systems. This finding is not unexpected and was identified through Canada’s national surveillance program, (aka - tested on the farm) which targets cattle at highest risk of being infected with BSE. The program has tested more than 87,000 animals since Canada’s first BSE case in 2003.
Are we starting to see a trend here? :!: :!: :!: :!:
Case 5 – April 2006
No part of the animal-an approximately six-year-old dairy cow-entered the human food or animal feed systems, and the entire carcass has been placed under control. The cow was identified on a Fraser Valley farm through the national BSE surveillance program. (aka - tested on the farm)
Case 6 – July 2006
Manitoba cow – turned out to be atypical. 16 years old. Tested on the farm.
Case 7 – July 2006
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a 50-month-old dairy cow from Alberta. This animal, along with all previous cases, was detected through the national surveillance program, which targets the highest risk animal populations. (aka - tested on the farm)
Case 8 – Aug 2006
On August 9, 2006, a commercial beef cow on a farm in northern Alberta died following a short history of neurological disease. The following day a private practitioner sampled the cow under Canada’s National BSE Surveillance Program. (aka - tested on the farm)
Case 9 – Feb. 2007
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the diagnosis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a mature bull from Alberta. The animal's carcass is under CFIA control, and no part of it entered the human food or animal feed systems. The animal was identified at the farm level by the national surveillance program, which has detected all cases found in Canada.
Case 10 – April 2007
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the diagnosis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a mature dairy cow from British Columbia. The British Columbia animal was identified at the farm level by the national surveillance program, which has detected all cases found in Canada. The program targets cattle most at risk and has tested about 160,000 animals since 2003. The surveillance results reflect an extremely low incidence of BSE in Canada.
Even a blind man 8) 8) could see that the reason we have found BSE in Canada is because we are actually looking for it. We are not denying it, and we are serious about tracking down every case.
Not one of these animals was processed, and only the first one left the farm. Other than in rural areas, they aren't even mentioned on the news any more. It's been a painful process, but we have kept our integrity, and we have kept consumer confidence.
After all, even if there is BSE in a national herd, the protocols implemented in the slaughter of animals are designed to protect consumers from risk. These protocols are in place in the U.S. too, aren't they? If so, then Canadian cattle pose no risk to American consumers either. To protest too much about Canadian cattle in the system is to imply that the slaughter system is substandard.
The surveillance system on the farm is there to establish the prevalence, and only by testing the high risk animals, can you really do that. Testing young healthy cattle is just a smokescreen designed to make it seem like something is being done to protect consumers. Just a diversion. :!:
When those who sit back in their chairs and point fingers at Canada for having BSE finally decide to strap on a pair and really test American cattle in a serious manner, then maybe we will start to listen to their ranting about how much safer American beef is. When they submit a sample from that old crock that died out behind the barn, or from the downer that couldn't be dragged onto a trailer, then they will have some credibility.
Walk the walk ........ we do.
Thanks to some snippets from the CFIA website, here is a history of the Canadian BSE cases. See if anyone can spot a trend???
Case 1 May 2003
This cow was found and condemned at a slaughter plant because she was down. Interestingly she had been delivered to the plant by a former Missouri catfish farmer who had moved to Alberta. :wink:
Case 2 – Dec 2004
Preliminary BSE testing results completed late on December 29, 2004 have identified a suspect 10-year-old dairy cow. The suspect animal was detected through the national surveillance program, (aka - tested on the farm) implemented in co-operation with the provinces and the animal health community. Testing was conducted after the animal was identified as a downer, one of the high-risk categories targeted by the surveillance program.
Case 3 – Jan 2005
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) today announced that Canada’s national surveillance program has detected bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an Alberta beef cow. The infected animal was detected through the recently enhanced national surveillance program. (aka - tested on the farm)
Case 4 – Jan 2006
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) today confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in an approximately six-year-old cross-bred cow born and raised in Alberta. No part of the animal entered the human food or animal feed systems. This finding is not unexpected and was identified through Canada’s national surveillance program, (aka - tested on the farm) which targets cattle at highest risk of being infected with BSE. The program has tested more than 87,000 animals since Canada’s first BSE case in 2003.
Are we starting to see a trend here? :!: :!: :!: :!:
Case 5 – April 2006
No part of the animal-an approximately six-year-old dairy cow-entered the human food or animal feed systems, and the entire carcass has been placed under control. The cow was identified on a Fraser Valley farm through the national BSE surveillance program. (aka - tested on the farm)
Case 6 – July 2006
Manitoba cow – turned out to be atypical. 16 years old. Tested on the farm.
Case 7 – July 2006
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a 50-month-old dairy cow from Alberta. This animal, along with all previous cases, was detected through the national surveillance program, which targets the highest risk animal populations. (aka - tested on the farm)
Case 8 – Aug 2006
On August 9, 2006, a commercial beef cow on a farm in northern Alberta died following a short history of neurological disease. The following day a private practitioner sampled the cow under Canada’s National BSE Surveillance Program. (aka - tested on the farm)
Case 9 – Feb. 2007
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the diagnosis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a mature bull from Alberta. The animal's carcass is under CFIA control, and no part of it entered the human food or animal feed systems. The animal was identified at the farm level by the national surveillance program, which has detected all cases found in Canada.
Case 10 – April 2007
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the diagnosis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a mature dairy cow from British Columbia. The British Columbia animal was identified at the farm level by the national surveillance program, which has detected all cases found in Canada. The program targets cattle most at risk and has tested about 160,000 animals since 2003. The surveillance results reflect an extremely low incidence of BSE in Canada.
Even a blind man 8) 8) could see that the reason we have found BSE in Canada is because we are actually looking for it. We are not denying it, and we are serious about tracking down every case.
Not one of these animals was processed, and only the first one left the farm. Other than in rural areas, they aren't even mentioned on the news any more. It's been a painful process, but we have kept our integrity, and we have kept consumer confidence.
After all, even if there is BSE in a national herd, the protocols implemented in the slaughter of animals are designed to protect consumers from risk. These protocols are in place in the U.S. too, aren't they? If so, then Canadian cattle pose no risk to American consumers either. To protest too much about Canadian cattle in the system is to imply that the slaughter system is substandard.
The surveillance system on the farm is there to establish the prevalence, and only by testing the high risk animals, can you really do that. Testing young healthy cattle is just a smokescreen designed to make it seem like something is being done to protect consumers. Just a diversion. :!:
When those who sit back in their chairs and point fingers at Canada for having BSE finally decide to strap on a pair and really test American cattle in a serious manner, then maybe we will start to listen to their ranting about how much safer American beef is. When they submit a sample from that old crock that died out behind the barn, or from the downer that couldn't be dragged onto a trailer, then they will have some credibility.
Walk the walk ........ we do.