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STATEMENT OF DR. RICHARD RAYMOND USDA (more BSe to korea)

flounder

Well-known member
STATEMENT OF DR. RICHARD RAYMOND USDA UNDERSECRETARY FOR FOOD SAFETY Regarding the Safety of the U.S. Food Supply

May 4, 2008

“Good evening. I am Dr. Richard Raymond, Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I appreciate the opportunity to discuss with you the safety of the U.S. beef supply. I want to be sure that you are aware that I will be discussing food safety issues only, and I am not here this evening to discuss negotiations. “The U.S. Government believes the current agreement well addresses the health and food safety concerns of Korean consumers. It provides for Korea's sovereign right to conduct an audit of our facilities and to work with USDA inspection authorities if any food safety concerns are identified. When the OIE gave the United States "controlled risk" status a year ago, it was after the world's BSE experts reviewed the preventative and food safety measures in the United States. “Since the requirements to export to Korea are consistent with science, U.S. requirements as well as those of the OIE require that if any food safety concern is found, it would be fully investigated and immediately corrected by USDA. “I want to assure all consumers – both domestic and abroad – that the U.S. beef supply is among the safest in the world. ...

please see full text with some additional information the good Dr. Raymond seems to have forgotten about ;

http://usdameatexport.blogspot.com/2008/05/statement-of-dr-richard-raymond-usda.html

TSS
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Cash for mad cow tests - it's a no brainer
3/06/2008 2:41:00 PM

Source of Article: http://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness-and-general/general/cash-for-mad-cow-tests-its-a-no-brainer/781876.aspx

Brain samples of cattle and sheep are urgently needed to prove to overseas buyers Australia is mad cow free, and Biosecurity Queensland, a specialist unit of the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F), is willing to pay top dollar in return.
Queensland and Australia remain free of mad cow disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) but need to prove this every year by conducting regular national surveillance to a standard set by the World Organisation for Animal Health, the OIE.

Biosecurity Queensland today put out the call to local producers and vets to urgently get in contact with the DPI&F if they have cattle and sheep showing nervous disorders and are willing to submit brain samples.

Laurie Dowling, acting DPI&F general manager (animal biosecurity) said animals showing progressive behavioural changes, such as excitability or apprehension, are just what the program is looking for.

"This national surveillance program is critical to maintaining overseas market access for Australian meat products, and it’s vitally important that Queensland meets its annual quota for brain samples," Dr Dowling said.

"Under the scheme, producers are reimbursed $150 for sampled cattle and $25 for sampled sheep.

"Producers also get the added benefit of a diagnosis of what actually has affected their animal.

"For example, some of these investigations have led to the discovery of rare genetic disorders in the producer's herds that led to changes in breeding programs resulting in avoiding future losses," Dr Dowling said.

Eligible cattle need to be 30 months of age or older while sheep need to be 18 months of age or older.

To get involved in the National Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy Surveillance program, speak to your local biosecurity inspector or call DPI&F on 13 25 23.
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
"“The U.S. Government believes the current agreement well addresses the health and food safety concerns of Korean consumers."

Then explain the protests in the streets and the South Korean Government backtracking on the deal. I'm sick and tired of Horseshit from the USDA on this issue. We're all losing money because of it and it just goes on and on and on - and NCBA just sits there and nods...... :mad:
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Just about everybody is not taking chances anymore, even the Aussies have this in print;Brain samples of cattle and sheep are urgently needed to prove to overseas buyers Australia is mad cow free
 

mrj

Well-known member
O.K., Sandhusker, let's just go back to Snake Oil and Magic Potions to cure all ills. Ignore that science.

Science is just fake stuff to help the "corporates" anyway.

To fulfill the proposal of Australia, why not go out and chouse your cows when they have a new calf and kill and test any that get on the prod or act up in anyway "excitable" or "apprehensive".

Forget that there are wild eyed politicial operatives in Korea using the acceptance of US beef to harm the new man in power.

Forget that people started rumors that US citizens do not eat any of our own beef, but export it all.

Keep on blaming USDA and NCBA for working worldwide to have the best available science accepted as criteria for trade in beef, or any food for that matter.

Be a real Luddite and reject all useful technology that makes the world a better place.

mrj
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
MRJ, I’ve asked you several times how much weighting that you give to “science” when making your personal purchases and you refuse to answer. We both know the reason why; It’s because science has no influence in your decision. Therefore, to assume the position that beef exports have to conform to “science” is both hypocritical and just plain flipping stupid. STUPID.

It’s hypocritical because you are imposing a standard on others that you don’t follow yourself. If you say that product that doesn’t conform to “science” can’t be sold, it also means you are saying that it can’t be bought. I have to ask, just who the heck are you to say what a Korean, Japanese, or ANY other consumer from ANY nation can and can not buy? Perhaps somebody ought to inspect your shopping cart and toss out all items that don’t conform to their idea of science? What do you think about that?

It’s stupid because you’re making science a prime qualifier to trade when the customer doesn’t use it as a qualifier to purchase. Let me explain to the Morons of USDA/NCBA that consumers consider price, safety, quality, ease of use, PERSONAL PREFERENCE, etc… when deciding what to buy – not science.

It’s monumentally stupid when you consider that you’re promoting a proven failed policy. We’ve left BILLIONS on the table, have potential customers protesting in the streets, and we’re not making sales that would be beneficial to all of us because we fail to follow the first rule in sales, which is to give the customer what they want. Do yourself a favor and pick up a book – any book – on marketing and see how many times “science” is mentioned vs serving your customer’s wants and needs.

It’s incredibly and inexcusably stupid because a group that supposedly represents the interests of producers are supporting a policy that hurts every producer financially. And then to have the gall to talk about private enterprise, value addition, and limiting marketing opportunities. Unflippingbelievable.

I’d like to know where is the point that NCBA/USDA figure out that they’re wrong? Is there one? Is there anything, any series of events possible that would occur that would make those bone-heads finally say, “Dang, we didn’t have that one pegged right”? Answer that one for me, MRJ. Just what would it take? Would it be possible?
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
No answer, MRJ? Why am I not surprised? It's hard to come up with a rational answer to support an irrational position, isn't it?

You just keep sending in your NCBA dues and they'll keep heading in the same direction, whether they're heading for a cliff or not. Stay the course and never, never, no matter what, admit a failed policy is a failed policy.
 

mrj

Well-known member
Sandhusker, please try to grow up! The fight against US beef in Korea is political, NOT food safety or health based. Only dolts like you believe testing with the less than effective tests available is an end all/be all solution to BSE problems.

What, if NOT "science", is consumers' desire for "safety" of beef based upon? Also, do you have evidence that consumers in all nations base their beef purchasing decisions on the same criteria as US citizens. Our consumers are rather spoiled by having one of, if not the very lowest food cost in the world, even yet today.

BTW, travelling down I-90 to Presho, SD, and on south and east to Winner yesterday afternoon was one of the most beautiful spring drives. So many shades of green, small creeks and rivers gushing at nearly full to overflowing, marshes filled with water and waterfowl, crops and grassland growing beautifully, wildlife everywhere, east end of the SD Badlands in all their glory.......makes it hard to relate to conspiracy buffs like Sandhusker!

You are so demanding! Which, IMO, indicactes a very spoiled person accustomed to getting their own way all the time.

For the record: I DO give great weight to science in decisions where it makes a difference such as food purchases, human health care and medicines, and animal care products to name a few that come quickly to mind. I believe many people do the same. Why would you discount science? Don't you have your children treated for illnesses or vaccinated preventively......or your cattle, for that matter? WHat a ridiculous question!

Re. NCBA membership, don't you know that many of your fellow NE citizens, who are probably some of the best cattle producers in your state, are members, therefore policy makers, of NCBA? Do you discredit their intelligence for being members and leaders of NCBA????

Have you lost your marbles? I've NEVER said Koreans or anyone else should not be able to buy what they want. It is the activists (and you) saying Koreans should not be able have access to US beef if the activists don't want it in their country.

I've not said "....product that doesn't conform to "science" cant be sold". You fail repeatedly to be honest about what is said and not said by those with whom you disgree on issues. Chalk up another one!

Re. "serving "serving your customers wants and needs".......when you advocate giving people what they want, do you want illegal recreational drugs made available to "customers" who want them???? That is a logical conclusion to your, IMO, illogical reasoning.

You fail repeatedly to understand that refusal of some countries to accept US beef, claiming it is because the beef is not tested for BSE, is in all reality in order to put political pressures on our trade representatives to get better deals for their nation. It is a bogus trade issue being unfairly applied. I believe it is time for the US to play hard ball and put equal, but fair pressures on them for a change. Pull some of their plum exports to the USA for reason.

Your NCBA bashing remains a tiresome gnat-like effort with far less effect than a gnat has!

mrj

Your shallow accusations are what is stupid. There is beef and other meat available to Koreans. They do not have to choose or use US beef!
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
Sandhusker, please try to grow up! The fight against US beef in Korea is political, NOT food safety or health based. Only dolts like you believe testing with the less than effective tests available is an end all/be all solution to BSE problems.

It it is a political deal, why is beef being singled out? Who told you the tests are "less than effective"? Mike has shown you several times that the test is very effective, yet you continue the same arguement even when the facts prove you wrong - who's the dolt?

What, if NOT "science", is consumers' desire for "safety" of beef based upon?

That is a question you should ask the former customers of your product who are now protesting against it. You might learn something.

.......makes it hard to relate to conspiracy buffs like Sandhusker!

Where have I ever mentioned a consipiracy? I've pointed out stupidity, hypocricy, and a dire ignorance of marketing.

You are so demanding! Which, IMO, indicactes a very spoiled person accustomed to getting their own way all the time.

No, I'm somebody who take great offense at being lied to and/or being fed a line of BS.

For the record: I DO give great weight to science in decisions where it makes a difference such as food purchases, ...."

I see.... so when you're in the grocery store, how to you prioritize between, quality, brand, sound science, etc...? When is the last time that you didn't buy a product because it wasn't based on science?

Re. NCBA membership, don't you know that many of your fellow NE citizens,

Actually, most of my fellow citizens are R-CALF members and not, NCBA members. The recently departed Jim Hannah was once President of NCBA affiliate Nebraska Cattlemen, and he joined R-CALF! That's a pretty big defection that should tell you something.

Have you lost your marbles? I've NEVER said Koreans or anyone else should not be able to buy what they want. It is the activists (and you) saying Koreans should not be able have access to US beef if the activists don't want it in their country.

Then you're OK with them buying tested US beef? You're backing a policy that says they can't buy tested US beef even if they want it. Bring my quote where I say, "Koreans should not be able have access to US beef if the activists don't want it in their country" or anything close to that or call you full of it. If you have to make up crap to support your position, you ought to reexamine your position.

I've not said "....product that doesn't conform to "science" cant be sold". You fail repeatedly to be honest about what is said and not said by those with whom you disgree on issues. Chalk up another one!

You're saying that it can't be bought. If it can't be bought, it can't be sold. OF course you're only singling out beef, which is hypocritical and bewildering, since you're in the cattle business...

Re. "serving "serving your customers wants and needs".......when you advocate giving people what they want, do you want illegal recreational drugs made available to "customers" who want them???? That is a logical conclusion to your, IMO, illogical reasoning.

If tested beef is illegal in Korea, then you've got a point. If it is not, you just stepped in it.

Your shallow accusations are what is stupid. There is beef and other meat available to Koreans. They do not have to choose or use US beef!

That comment coming from somebody trying to influence US beef marketing decisions. Unbelievable.
 

mrj

Well-known member
SAndhusker, tho I realize it is useless to talk to someone so proud of being foolishly protectionist instead of seeking to sell beef to that 96% of world population OUTSIDE the USA, I'll give it another try.

It is political because those people are attacking decisions of the NEW government leaders and are backers of other parties. Beef is singled out because it is vulnerable.

Why would people who routinely eat dog and cat meat gathered from who knows where, and processed under who knows what conditions, worry about beef processed in modern, thoroughly inspected plants the Korean government is inspecting, with opportunity to approve or dis-approve shipments of US beef depending upon what they see?

What makes you think the protesters were EVER customers of US beef? Some of the protests have been that they don't want anything imported from anywhere.........rather like some who post on this site, actually!!

Of course you haven't MENTIONED conspiracy.........the tenets of conspiracy politics drips from most of your posts.

You don't know the difference between a "lie" and truth.........you believe what you want to which will promote R-CALF policies.........no matter now much harm they may do our cattle business. Whatever is believed good for the cattle auction companies supporting R-C.... with fundraising events obviously DOES have strings attached!

You can't possibly know whether or not anyone does or does not use science as a criteria for purchasing anything! For the record, beef in retail stores has been inspected multiple times and regulations for feed, treatments of various types.....and more.....are the science relied upon by anyone purchasing food of many types. It is absolute stupidity to believe there is no science relied upon in many consumer items, especially many foods. More likely, though, it is your deceit using "science" as a whipping boy simply because NCBA supports it.

There is a very sizeable number of NE cattle producers, and among them some of the very best, who are members of NE Cattlemen, and of NCBA, whether you want to admit it or not.

Again, your implications say plenty! When you say they should not have to take untested US beef in Korea, and US policy is not testing, you are effectively saying they should not have access to US beef. BTW, what is the RATE of FALSE POSITIVE results from current BSE tests???? I really don't need to "make up crap", as you so delicately phrase it. Did your mother really teach you to publicly use such terms???

I want beef sold to be scientifically safe as possible. Sorry you don't believe that is necessary. BSE testing does NOT make beef guaranteed safe from BSE, nor does presence of BSE in the cow brain make the meat a conductor of BSE like disease to humans, since there is no verified link between the two, despite Singletary's rantings to the contrary.

Dream on! Keep on making your own rules.......what kind of stuff are you inhaling or injecting into yourself, anyway.........R-CALF Koolade, at the least, obviously.

I stand by my comment that those in Korea who do not want US beef do not have to eat it. Nor should those protesters be able to prevent their countrymen who WANT our US beef from being able to buy it! Simple common sense, if you had any, should tell you that there are multitudes of Koreans who DO want US beef and that our sales in Korea will be huge, even WITHOUT those protesters buying our beef. You totally ignore the ridiculous rumors which were spread to fuel those protests. Why would you do that????

I will proudly continue efforts to influence US beef marketing decisions to export more beef, understanding that the biggest potential for growth in beef sales is outside the USA among the 96% or world population not living here.

mrj
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
SAndhusker, tho I realize it is useless to talk to someone so proud of being foolishly protectionist instead of seeking to sell beef to that 96% of world population OUTSIDE the USA, I'll give it another try.

Protectionist? You’re the one creating barriers to trade and I’m the one trying to eliminate those barriers! I’m the one trying to meet customer’s requests so we can make a sale and you’re the one standing in the way! Some people want tested US beef and some people here want to sell it to them - and you and yours are blocking the deal over some BS requirement that has never been applied before and is not being applied to other products – even other beef products. Get the heck out of the way, mind your own dang business, and let people like Creekstone serve that other 96%!

It is political because those people are attacking decisions of the NEW government leaders and are backers of other parties. Beef is singled out because it is vulnerable.

Your “partners in industry” claimed it was just a couple of kids starting a rumor. Your camp needs to stick to a story.

You don't know the difference between a "lie" and truth.........you believe what you want to which will promote R-CALF policies.........no matter now much harm they may do our cattle business. Whatever is believed good for the cattle auction companies supporting R-C.... with fundraising events obviously DOES have strings attached!

Harm to our cattle business? Lost sales from this policy NCBA is backing hasn’t harmed the cattle business? $1.8 B a year in no harm?

It’s refreshing that you recognize there are usually strings attached to “donations”. With that in mind, you want to address those $100,000 “donations” that NCBA charges companies to be in their “Gold” club?


You can't possibly know whether or not anyone does or does not use science as a criteria for purchasing anything! For the record, beef in retail stores has been inspected multiple times and regulations for feed, treatments of various types.....and more.....are the science relied upon by anyone purchasing food of many types. It is absolute stupidity to believe there is no science relied upon in many consumer items, especially many foods. More likely, though, it is your deceit using "science" as a whipping boy simply because NCBA supports it.

I’ve got no problem with somebody supporting “science”. What I have a problem with is those people forcing their standards on others. You might buy the USDA’s science, and that’s your prerogative, but others don’t. Yet, they still want to buy your product. What in the heck is wrong with just giving them what they want and charging them accordingly?

Again, your implications say plenty! When you say they should not have to take untested US beef in Korea, and US policy is not testing, you are effectively saying they should not have access to US beef. BTW, what is the RATE of FALSE POSITIVE results from current BSE tests???? I really don't need to "make up crap", as you so delicately phrase it. Did your mother really teach you to publicly use such terms???

No, MRJ, I’ve said very plainly several times that the person with the checkbook gets to decide. If Korea doesn’t want our product the way we want to sell it, they are fully within their right to tell us to eat it ourselves.

False positives are a red herring. There is no reason at all that a false positive should ever leave the lab.


I stand by my comment that those in Korea who do not want US beef do not have to eat it. Nor should those protesters be able to prevent their countrymen who WANT our US beef from being able to buy it! Simple common sense, if you had any, should tell you that there are multitudes of Koreans who DO want US beef and that our sales in Korea will be huge, even WITHOUT those protesters buying our beef. You totally ignore the ridiculous rumors which were spread to fuel those protests. Why would you do that????

Our sales will be huge? That sounds like a prediction another NCBA member said about Japan; “They will scramble to get it”. Must be that NCBA/AMI Kool-aid. What about those Koreans that want to buy tested US beef? IF YOU DON’T THINK A KOREAN PROTESTER SHOULD BE ABLE TO PREVENT A COUNTRYMAN FROM OUR PRODUCT, WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S OK FOR YOU TO DO IT?

I will proudly continue efforts to influence US beef marketing decisions to export more beef, understanding that the biggest potential for growth in beef sales is outside the USA among the 96% or world population not living here.

That’s what you say, but here you are supporting a policy that is blocking sales of US beef.
 
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