A
Anonymous
Guest
February 9, 2007 Phone: 406-672-8969; e-mail: [email protected]
Latest Alberta BSE Case Leaves Little Doubt: Canada Has a Problem
Billings, Mont. – On Wednesday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced yet another case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) discovered in a “mature bull” in Alberta.
“Although Canadian headlines tend to say this is Canada’s ninth case of BSE, it is important to note that this latest incident is actually the 10th case of BSE in native Canadian cattle, because the BSE-positive cow discovered in Washington state in December 2003 was imported into the U.S. from Canada,” noted R-CALF USA Vice President and Region VI Director Max Thornsberry. “In addition to the 10 native Canadian cases, in December 1993, BSE was discovered in a cow imported into Canada from England.
Thornsberry also is a veterinarian and chairs R-CALF USA’s Animal Health Committee.
“This demonstrates just how ridiculous and premature it is for our government to be considering even further relaxations of our import standards that would allow into the U.S. imports of Canadian cattle older than 30 months (OTM) of age, as well as the government’s intention to allow into the U.S. beef products from Canadian cattle of any age,” Thornsberry continued. “OTM cattle in a BSE-affected country bear an inherently higher risk for the disease, so R-CALF calls for the immediate withdrawal of this proposed rule.
“Furthermore, in light of the clear ongoing problem with BSE in Canada, we question whether Canada meets the regulatory requirements of a so-called ‘BSE Minimal Risk Region’ under the regulations issued by USDA in January 2005 regarding imports of cattle and beef from countries affected by this disease,” Thornsberry emphasized.
R-CALF USA currently has an appeal before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in litigation filed by cattle producers in January 2005, which challenges the regulations issued by USDA as arbitrary and capricious, and not based on what scientists actually know about BSE. If R-CALF USA is successful in court with this challenge against USDA, the agency will be forced to address the problem of BSE in Canadian cattle and reduce the chance of spreading the disease in the United States.
“Canada is still not doing sufficient BSE testing to ascertain the magnitude of its problem with this disease,” added R-CALF USA Region II Director Randy Stevenson, who also co-chairs the R-CALF USA Marketing Committee. “Because we don’t already have COOL (country-of-origin labeling), and because we are currently commingling Canadian cattle and beef with U.S. cattle and beef, this case will further complicate U.S. efforts to restore beef export markets lost since 2003.”
“Additionally, Canada has not yet implemented improvements to its 1997 feed ban, which were announced in July 2006, despite the obvious and increasing evidence of the widespread exposure of Canadian cattle to this disease,” said R-CALF USA Region VII Director Eric Nelson. “Canada has had four known cases of BSE born after the 1997 implementation of its original feed ban, three of which were known to have been born years later.”
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R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) is a national, non-profit organization and is dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. R-CALF USA represents thousands of U.S. cattle producers on both domestic and international trade and marketing issues. Members are located across 47 states and are primarily cow/calf operators, cattle backgrounders, and/or feedlot owners. R-CALF USA has more than 60 affiliate organizations and various main-street businesses are associate members. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516.
Latest Alberta BSE Case Leaves Little Doubt: Canada Has a Problem
Billings, Mont. – On Wednesday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced yet another case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) discovered in a “mature bull” in Alberta.
“Although Canadian headlines tend to say this is Canada’s ninth case of BSE, it is important to note that this latest incident is actually the 10th case of BSE in native Canadian cattle, because the BSE-positive cow discovered in Washington state in December 2003 was imported into the U.S. from Canada,” noted R-CALF USA Vice President and Region VI Director Max Thornsberry. “In addition to the 10 native Canadian cases, in December 1993, BSE was discovered in a cow imported into Canada from England.
Thornsberry also is a veterinarian and chairs R-CALF USA’s Animal Health Committee.
“This demonstrates just how ridiculous and premature it is for our government to be considering even further relaxations of our import standards that would allow into the U.S. imports of Canadian cattle older than 30 months (OTM) of age, as well as the government’s intention to allow into the U.S. beef products from Canadian cattle of any age,” Thornsberry continued. “OTM cattle in a BSE-affected country bear an inherently higher risk for the disease, so R-CALF calls for the immediate withdrawal of this proposed rule.
“Furthermore, in light of the clear ongoing problem with BSE in Canada, we question whether Canada meets the regulatory requirements of a so-called ‘BSE Minimal Risk Region’ under the regulations issued by USDA in January 2005 regarding imports of cattle and beef from countries affected by this disease,” Thornsberry emphasized.
R-CALF USA currently has an appeal before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in litigation filed by cattle producers in January 2005, which challenges the regulations issued by USDA as arbitrary and capricious, and not based on what scientists actually know about BSE. If R-CALF USA is successful in court with this challenge against USDA, the agency will be forced to address the problem of BSE in Canadian cattle and reduce the chance of spreading the disease in the United States.
“Canada is still not doing sufficient BSE testing to ascertain the magnitude of its problem with this disease,” added R-CALF USA Region II Director Randy Stevenson, who also co-chairs the R-CALF USA Marketing Committee. “Because we don’t already have COOL (country-of-origin labeling), and because we are currently commingling Canadian cattle and beef with U.S. cattle and beef, this case will further complicate U.S. efforts to restore beef export markets lost since 2003.”
“Additionally, Canada has not yet implemented improvements to its 1997 feed ban, which were announced in July 2006, despite the obvious and increasing evidence of the widespread exposure of Canadian cattle to this disease,” said R-CALF USA Region VII Director Eric Nelson. “Canada has had four known cases of BSE born after the 1997 implementation of its original feed ban, three of which were known to have been born years later.”
# # #
R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) is a national, non-profit organization and is dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. R-CALF USA represents thousands of U.S. cattle producers on both domestic and international trade and marketing issues. Members are located across 47 states and are primarily cow/calf operators, cattle backgrounders, and/or feedlot owners. R-CALF USA has more than 60 affiliate organizations and various main-street businesses are associate members. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516.