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Mike's posts on the USDA BSE testing program

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Anonymous

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Mike,

You have recently written several negative and conspiracy minded posts on the US BSE testing program.

You wrote

"I cannot help but think that the USDA has perpretrated a grand scheme to brush BSE under the table and out of the limelight by controlling the information and the media."

"testing in the USA has been less than adequate at best with an obvious lack of testing 4-D's and CNS cases."

"The whole "fact sheet" is full of half-truths and innuendo concerning 30 month cattle. "

All of the available science based information suggests the actions taken in the US against BSE are working. Why do you think this is not true, and can you provide credible information supporting this opinion?

The big question is why you think producers like yourself benefit from shaking consumer confidence in the safety of the US beef supply? You honestly sound more like someone from PETA who would like the beef industry to disappear then a producer who makes his living from raising cattle.

Thanks,

TJIT
 
The big question is why you think producers like yourself benefit from shaking consumer confidence in the safety of the US beef supply? You honestly sound more like someone from PETA who would like the beef industry to disappear then a producer who makes his living from raising cattle.
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1- I honestly don't think I'm shaking consumer confidence by posting on this forum. I have read about what happened to the UK, and other countries cattle industry mostly because of ineptitude and/or coverups in the respective governments.
We should be demanding the truth be told and test more cattle for food safety reasons and maybe the consumer confidence will not plummet like it has elsewhere. Lies will get us nowhere. Coverups will get us less.
We had a cushion to fall back on with the Washington cow, it came from Canada, next time we might not be so lucky.
Oh, and I hate PETA and everything they stand for. FWIW
And I too WOULD like to be in the cattle business 10-20 years from now.
 
Mike,

Thanks for the civil reply.

I agree that we have to be very aggresive and honest with everyone (producer to consumer) in working to prevent / detect the presence of BSE in the US.

I think USDA is doing a good (not perfect, nothing is) job in BSE prevention / detection. My understanding is the increased testing they started last year would have found a case of BSE if there were as few as five animals infected in the US.

I honestly think the BSE risk in the US is tiny. There are probably less then 200 human case of BSE worldwide. Simple food poisoning kills many more people every year. But BSE is a different kind of disease, and it is relatively new, so it gets more attention.

Thanks,

TJIT
 
Mike is simply making statements and asking the hard questions ALL US producers should be asking.

Keep it up.
 
Anonymous said:
Mike is simply making statements and asking the hard questions ALL US producers should be asking.

Keep it up.
Click to expand...

I agree-- The inconsistencies the USDA has shown from day one on the BSE issue does not do much to build confidence........I still would like to see them explain the differences in the science between exporting only under 20 month animals to Japan- while importing under thirty month from Canada.... Like I said before- we've gone thru "sound science", then "best science available"... Now what is this split policy science going to be called?......
 
Using a supersensitive Western Blot test the Japanes found some prions in an animal (if I recall correctly) That was under 30 months but over 20 (not sure of the exact age). This created a wedge issue for the Japanese to use in the discussions of accepting US beef again.

During the negotiations it was agreed to use the 20 month cutoff for two reasons.

1. there was a pretty clear grading criteria that allowed the detection of any animal over 20 months old in the packing plant, the Japanese were ok with this.

2. Most of the beef that will be shipped to Japan when the ban is lifted will be from animals under 20 months of age. So the 20 month rule will not cause a burdensome, expensive, testing program that would act as a non tariff trade barrier.

TJIT
 
TJIT said:
Mike,

Thanks for the civil reply.

I agree that we have to be very aggresive and honest with everyone (producer to consumer) in working to prevent / detect the presence of BSE in the US.

I think USDA is doing a good (not perfect, nothing is) job in BSE prevention / detection. My understanding is the increased testing they started last year would have found a case of BSE if there were as few as five animals infected in the US.

I honestly think the BSE risk in the US is tiny. There are probably less then 200 human case of BSE worldwide. Simple food poisoning kills many more people every year. But BSE is a different kind of disease, and it is relatively new, so it gets more attention.

Thanks,

TJIT
Click to expand...

You say you think the USDA is doing a good job tell me if told your kid to go out and get a sick calf in to docter and when you went out he had a completely healthy animal in the chute would you docter it anyway and tell the kid he did a good job at bring in the right animal or would you let the animal go and go back to the pen with him and get the sick one and docter it. The USDA is testing slaughter cattle and by they own rules slaughter plants are not to accept downers, when the OIE recommended that they test sick dieing and dead cattle. The testing may find the 5 if they were testing the recommended catagory of cattle which they are not. How can you say they are doing even a good job.
 

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