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

No Brainer- But Canada has to wait for US Permission?

A

Anonymous

Guest
Feed ban no-brainer: expert
Feds pressured to 'harmonize' on high-risk tissues


Published: Thursday, June 08, 2006
VANCOUVER -- The federal government is being pressured to wait for American action before banning the use of cattle brains, corpses and other "high-risk" material in animal feed, pet food and fertilizer to prevent the spread of mad-cow disease.

"There has been a lot of pushback from industry, they want to harmonize with the Americans," says Dr. Graham Clarke, director of the animal industry division at Agriculture and Agri-food Canada.

He told a meeting on brain-wasting diseases here this week the government "is obviously listening" to the arguments and couldn't say when the longawaited ban would go into force.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced in 2004 it would follow Europe's lead and ban use of "specifi ed risk material," or SRM, in animal feed and fertilizer. SRM includes condemned cattle and dead stock, as well as the brains, spinal cords, tonsils, eyeballs and bits of small intestine from cattle that can harbour high concentrations of prions, the infectious agents that cause bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), known as mad cow disease.

Clarke said Agri-food Canada has consulted with the provinces and industry, produced a detailed plan for collecting and handling SRMs and the government has allocated $80 million to help implement the ban.

But he couldn't say when the government would enact the legislation to end the use of SRM in feed -- a ban consumer groups and leading scientists say is long overdue.

"In my opinion, the enhanced feed ban should be instituted as soon as possible," says Dr. Neil Cashman, scientifi c director of PrioNet Canada, a research network studying prion diseases such as BSE.

He's echoed by several scientists, including a leading U.S. expert on BSE.

"Canada has to do what is important for Canada, to protect Canada," Dr.

Linda Detwiler, of the University of Maryland, told the meeting.

She said in an interview that eliminating diseased cattle and high-risk organs from the animal food chain is scientifi - cally sound, and the U.S. should introduce a similar ban.

"The U.S. needs to follow Canada's lead," said Detwiler.

Canada currently has a partial ban on the use of cattle slaughter waste. In 1997, the government banned the feeding of cattle remains back to cattle and other ruminants, but it still allows cattle remains and SRMs to be used in feed for chickens, hogs and pets.

There's concern and evidence that cross-contamination of feed streams can contribute to the spread of the infectious and persistent prions that cause BSE. At the urging of an international team of animal health experts, CFIA, in 2004, proposed the SRM ban.

Clarke told the meeting it would be ideal if Canada and the U.S. could ban use of SRM at the same time since so much livestock and feed crosses the border.

Canada has uncovered fi ve homegrown cases of mad cow disease so far, and the United States has reported three cases.

While there have been no trade sanctions resulting from the two Canadian cases to turn up this year, earlier cases provoked U.S. and Japanese embargoes on imports of Canadian cows and beef that cost Canada's cattle farmers billions before they were lifted last year.

The most recent Canadian case of BSE was in a dairy cow in B.C. in April.

The possibility of cross-contamination of feed is being examined as a possible source of the infection.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I have a question of the Canadians- Who is the cattle industry proponents trying to delay this feedban?--Is it backed by the cattlemen, CCA, ABP, SSGA?-Or is the true chain pullers of the Canadian cattle industry, the Packers, the one again stalling this? :???:

------------------------------------------------------

6/9/2006 9:54:00 AM


Canada May Delay Its Enhanced Feed Ban



The Canadian government has been slowly working on an enhanced animal feed ban that would eliminate all specified risk materials from all animal feed, just as they are banned from cattle feed, but Wednesday promised to consider requests from the cattle industry to wait and see if the United States publishes a similar enhancement of its feed ban.

Thus far, the Food and Drug Administration has given no indication it would endorse such a move.

Cattle industry proponents asked Agri-Food Canada to delay adoption of an enhanced ban so that Canadian policy "harmonizes" with that of the United States. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced two years ago that it planned to issue an updated feed ban that would bar all specified risk materials, condemned cattle, corpses, and other at-risk products from all animal feed, pet food and fertilizers. That standard now appears to be on hold indefinitely.

Last summer, then-FDA commissioner Lester Crawford announced that FDA was about to introduce a ban similar to the Canadian proposal. He resigned three days later, and FDA instead suggested a less-restrictive ban that would simply bar brains, spinal columns and a few other parts from cattle feed on the theory that virtually all infectivity for bovine spongiform encephalopathy could be found in a handful of tissues.

Consumer groups and scientific experts demanded that Canada move ahead rapidly with the suggested ban as is. According to The Calgary Herald, Dr. Neil Cashman of PrioNet Canada, a research network that studies prion diseases, said that the ban "should be instituted as soon as possible." Another speaker, Dr. Linda Detwiler a BSE specialist from the University of Maryland, said that Canada should protect itself, not wait for the United States to issue an enhanced ban.



Source: Pete Hisey on Friday, June 09, 2006, Meatingplace.com
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
Gee if Canada went ahead and did this ban that would put the USA in Third World status with the likes of Africa and South American countries.

Do you suppose that the pressure to harmonize regulations is not to give one country a financial advantage over the other. After all we all agree it's about the MONEY.


How long would we have to wait for the USA to comply? They are so far behind now. Where's your Traceback system?
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
Gee if Canada went ahead and did this ban that would put the USA in Third World status with the likes of Africa and South American countries.

Do you suppose that the pressure to harmonize regulations is not to give one country a financial advantage over the other. After all we all agree it's about the MONEY.


How long would we have to wait for the USA to comply? They are so far behind now. Where's your Traceback system?

Is a financial advantage over your competitors something the SSGA chooses to avoid?
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
Gee if Canada went ahead and did this ban that would put the USA in Third World status with the likes of Africa and South American countries.

Do you suppose that the pressure to harmonize regulations is not to give one country a financial advantage over the other. After all we all agree it's about the MONEY.


How long would we have to wait for the USA to comply? They are so far behind now. Where's your Traceback system?

Is a financial advantage over your competitors something the SSGA chooses to avoid?



Sandhusker the SSGA promotes the Level playing field approach. Canadian producers can compete with American producers quite nicely. We have been doing it for years even tho it was a uphill battle. level the field and look out. If the best thing for the industry is enhanched feed bans and since we have NAFTA we should be moving ahead at the same pace. Lets go for it.

I see that it was a professor from Maryland that was in Canada promoting the extended feed bans. Maybe see should get her own backyard cleaned up. Who is stalling the enhanched feed ban in th USA?
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
BMR, "Sandhusker the SSGA promotes the Level playing field approach. Canadian producers can compete with American producers quite nicely. We have been doing it for years even tho it was a uphill battle. level the field and look out. If the best thing for the industry is enhanched feed bans and since we have NAFTA we should be moving ahead at the same pace. Lets go for it."

I think you've drank too much of that North American herd Kool-Aid, BMR. :wink: Successful businesses try to get an angle on their competition. It's not just how you thrive, but how your survive.

BMR, "I see that it was a professor from Maryland that was in Canada promoting the extended feed bans. Maybe see should get her own backyard cleaned up. Who is stalling the enhanched feed ban in th USA?"

Three guesses and the first two don't count. Who's got the money to keep government from carrying out common sense?
 

RoperAB

Well-known member
Well here is a question for OT and Sandhusker.
Actually its not so much as a question but more about how I tend to take your posts. Maybe im taking you the wrong way?
Im not trying to bait you or start an arguement either.
But I get the impression that you want Canadians to piss off the USDA and your Federal government just so you can have an excuse to bash Canadian producers and make us the enemy?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
If you wait for the US to close the feedban loopholes you may be getting pretty long in the tooth.....Remember USDA says we have virtually no BSE in the US, that our present feedban has worked and is working, and Johanns says he is going to essentially stop testing, so there will be no way to show anything different....

Canada on the other hand has proof 3 fold that their ban has not worked and is not working.....It also appears with the new OIE rules the US and USDA are further distancing themselves from any thoughts of a North American herd- since the US herd will be eligible for "BSE negligible" classification within the year....

I just can't imagine any cattleman or cattlemans group that would oppose a step that would further guarantee herd health and possibly speed up eradication of the disease.....
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
RoperAB said:
Well here is a question for OT and Sandhusker.
Actually its not so much as a question but more about how I tend to take your posts. Maybe im taking you the wrong way?
Im not trying to bait you or start an arguement either.
But I get the impression that you want Canadians to p*** off the USDA and your Federal government just so you can have an excuse to bash Canadian producers and make us the enemy?

Roper- I'd just like to see Canada show a little incentive on their own, rather than constantly shirttailing on the US...Go out do your own thing- make a decision without asking the uS permission first--- build your own export market besides just the US...

Canada reminds me of two women going to the pot- Canada needs to have the US hold their hand everywhere they go :wink: :???:
 

RoperAB

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
If you wait for the US to close the feedban loopholes you may be getting pretty long in the tooth.....Remember USDA says we have virtually no BSE in the US, that our present feedban has worked and is working, and Johanns says he is going to essentially stop testing, so there will be no way to show anything different....

Canada on the other hand has proof 3 fold that their ban has not worked and is not working.....It also appears with the new OIE rules the US and USDA are further distancing themselves from any thoughts of a North American herd- since the US herd will be eligible for "BSE negligible" classification within the year....

I just can't imagine any cattleman or cattlemans group that would oppose a step that would further guarantee herd health and possibly speed up eradication of the disease.....

What does dog food have to do with beef safety.
 

RoperAB

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
RoperAB said:
Well here is a question for OT and Sandhusker.
Actually its not so much as a question but more about how I tend to take your posts. Maybe im taking you the wrong way?
Im not trying to bait you or start an arguement either.
But I get the impression that you want Canadians to p*** off the USDA and your Federal government just so you can have an excuse to bash Canadian producers and make us the enemy?

Roper- I'd just like to see Canada show a little incentive on their own, rather than constantly shirttailing on the US...Go out do your own thing- make a decision without asking the uS permission first--- build your own export market besides just the US...

Canada reminds me of two women going to the pot- Canada needs to have the US hold their hand everywhere they go :wink: :???:

Rcalf reminds me of people who burn the American flag and then holler about their Constitutional American rights when people want to throw them in jail.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
RoperAB said:
Oldtimer said:
If you wait for the US to close the feedban loopholes you may be getting pretty long in the tooth.....Remember USDA says we have virtually no BSE in the US, that our present feedban has worked and is working, and Johanns says he is going to essentially stop testing, so there will be no way to show anything different....

Canada on the other hand has proof 3 fold that their ban has not worked and is not working.....It also appears with the new OIE rules the US and USDA are further distancing themselves from any thoughts of a North American herd- since the US herd will be eligible for "BSE negligible" classification within the year....

I just can't imagine any cattleman or cattlemans group that would oppose a step that would further guarantee herd health and possibly speed up eradication of the disease.....

What does dog food have to do with beef safety.

It appears as tho at least 3 people in Canada fed dog or chicken feed to their cows and/or it was mixed with cattle feed at the feedplant....

Last I read CFIA thinks it was contaminated cow feed- which would not be possible with this ban.....
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
RoperAB said:
Oldtimer said:
RoperAB said:
Well here is a question for OT and Sandhusker.
Actually its not so much as a question but more about how I tend to take your posts. Maybe im taking you the wrong way?
Im not trying to bait you or start an arguement either.
But I get the impression that you want Canadians to p*** off the USDA and your Federal government just so you can have an excuse to bash Canadian producers and make us the enemy?

Roper- I'd just like to see Canada show a little incentive on their own, rather than constantly shirttailing on the US...Go out do your own thing- make a decision without asking the uS permission first--- build your own export market besides just the US...

Canada reminds me of two women going to the pot- Canada needs to have the US hold their hand everywhere they go :wink: :???:

Rcalf reminds me of people who burn the American flag and then holler about their Constitutional American rights when people want to throw them in jail.

When you don't like the facts do the Canuck Waltz -- blame it all on R-CALF :wink: :roll: :lol: :lol:
 

Kathy

Well-known member
SRMs and organs which concentrate metals are a risk, but what level of risk?

What is the risk of heavy metals from fertilizers? harvested from phosphour and potassium deposits which are impregnated with uranium or other decay radio-active materials (Saskatchewan is a real hot-bed).

Free metals are bio-available, those which are already bound to proteins are, by far, less available especially if that protein is protease-resistant (meaning digestive enzymes cannot break it apart to utilize the building materials).

Who controls things in Canada? Certainly doesn't look like any Canadians do!
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
RoperAB said:
Well here is a question for OT and Sandhusker.
Actually its not so much as a question but more about how I tend to take your posts. Maybe im taking you the wrong way?
Im not trying to bait you or start an arguement either.
But I get the impression that you want Canadians to p*** off the USDA and your Federal government just so you can have an excuse to bash Canadian producers and make us the enemy?

Roper- I'd just like to see Canada show a little incentive on their own, rather than constantly shirttailing on the US...Go out do your own thing- make a decision without asking the uS permission first--- build your own export market besides just the US...

Canada reminds me of two women going to the pot- Canada needs to have the US hold their hand everywhere they go :wink: :???:

I'll second what OT says with the addition that Canada playing the part of little brother only plays into the hands of Cargill/Tyson, which is detrimental to both of us. Canada not having the nards to tell the AMI/USDA to pack sand only strengthens policies that are not in the interests of producers.
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
RoperAB said:
Well here is a question for OT and Sandhusker.
Actually its not so much as a question but more about how I tend to take your posts. Maybe im taking you the wrong way?
Im not trying to bait you or start an arguement either.
But I get the impression that you want Canadians to p*** off the USDA and your Federal government just so you can have an excuse to bash Canadian producers and make us the enemy?

Roper- I'd just like to see Canada show a little incentive on their own, rather than constantly shirttailing on the US...Go out do your own thing- make a decision without asking the uS permission first--- build your own export market besides just the US...

Canada reminds me of two women going to the pot- Canada needs to have the US hold their hand everywhere they go :wink: :???:


You mean incentive like implementing a M'ID program without waiting for the USA?
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
Oldtimer said:
RoperAB said:
Well here is a question for OT and Sandhusker.
Actually its not so much as a question but more about how I tend to take your posts. Maybe im taking you the wrong way?
Im not trying to bait you or start an arguement either.
But I get the impression that you want Canadians to p*** off the USDA and your Federal government just so you can have an excuse to bash Canadian producers and make us the enemy?

Roper- I'd just like to see Canada show a little incentive on their own, rather than constantly shirttailing on the US...Go out do your own thing- make a decision without asking the uS permission first--- build your own export market besides just the US...

Canada reminds me of two women going to the pot- Canada needs to have the US hold their hand everywhere they go :wink: :???:

I'll second what OT says with the addition that Canada playing the part of little brother only plays into the hands of Cargill/Tyson, which is detrimental to both of us. Canada not having the nards to tell the AMI/USDA to pack sand only strengthens policies that are not in the interests of producers.

Oh so we with our 15 million compared to your 90 million we don't have the "Nards" do do what you guys should have done. Well sandhusker if you can't lead then get out of the way. what's that saying about if you can run with the big dogs stay on the porch. Well R-CALF should stay on the porch cause every time the dogs start to run they run to court.
If they had worked like a serious Cattlemans org. they would be taken more seriously rather then a radical fringe group.
 

DiamondSCattleCo

Well-known member
Thanks for the post OT. Got a call to make on Monday.

Despite all the posturing in this thread, don't you guys (meaning us Canucks) think that 'Husker and OT have a point? Why do we have to wait for the US? Hell, RCalf themselves are trying to say our feedban is ineffective, so why not make it bigger and badder than theirs and take some wind out of their sails?

And I don't buy the logic behind 'being careful we don't tick off the USDA/AMI'. Legally, the USDA cannot close the border simply because we decided to institute a harsher feed ban than they have. If they shut it down, we sue their butts.

Its time Canada stopped playing the pussy role and acted like we had some balls. We did it for M-ID, even when people said it would tick off the Americans. We should be doing it now. The US may be our pals, but they are also COMPETITORS.

Rod
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
BMR, "Oh so we with our 15 million compared to your 90 million we don't have the "Nards" do do what you guys should have done. Well sandhusker if you can't lead then get out of the way. what's that saying about if you can run with the big dogs stay on the porch. Well R-CALF should stay on the porch cause every time the dogs start to run they run to court. If they had worked like a serious Cattlemans org. they would be taken more seriously rather then a radical fringe group."

R-CALF is leading, BMR. We're doing everything we can to provide for US producer's profitability. We're pushing for COOL, closed feed ban loopholes, enforcement of existing laws, favorable trade agreements, a checkoff that promotes our product exclusively, an accountable USDA, etc.... That isn't working like a serious cattleman's org.? What is that four-letter organization doing for producers?


Talking about staying on the porch, is that where the SSGA was while the Canadian owned packing industry was taken over? Is that where you were when your government was doling out taxpayer funds to profitable US packers to use against you? Were you on the porch or laying in the shade when the US packers told Ottawa to hang it or when the "report" that exonerated them came out? Where are you when your own government admits they won't do a thing without the US's blessing? Looks to me like you're more comfortable on the porch than running with the big dogs.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
BMR- If Canada is going to be a leader- someone needs to buy them a compass...Seems like the only direction they've known for the last 10+ years has been south... :???:

If I was a Canadian I'd be asking for my money back from the CBEF

They list as their number one objective:
To secure and increase markets outside the USA for Canadian beef products in order decrease export dependence on the USA.

Appears to me they have been a dismal failure on that... :wink:

And then they have to turn around and ask "Mommy, May I" from the USDA before they decide if they can play outside... :wink: :lol: :lol:
 
Top