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Anonymous

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High Stakes Poker... the R-CALF Way

Maybe This Is Montana "Hold'em"

A few months ago, if you had been asked to guess who had made statements like the following to the media, which group would you have guessed was the source?

U.S. beef is not safe and continually puts consumers at risk.
Canadian beef is not safe to eat.
The USDA is not doing its job and is putting consumer's families at risk.
The USDA Inspected stamp is false "advertising" and is misleading.

Would you have guessed:

a) Ralph Nader's Public Citizen?

b) Carol Tucker Foreman's Consumer Federation of America?

c) PETA?

d) Consumer's Union?

e) A rancher's group?


Six months ago, would you have believed any rancher's group would be making the statements R- CALF has been making? Yet the answer to the above question is e), a rancher's group - R-CALF.

If you thought the over-the-top moves and statements of recent weeks couldn't go much further, you were wrong.

R-CALF has actually issued and called on its members to distribute - I'm not making this up - a "Safety Alert Fact Sheet" to consumers, grocery store managers, butchers, public health officials and elected officials across the U.S. They've already sent it to elected officials and health departments. Why? To make sure consumers believe that Canadian beef can give them BSE. R-CALF's belief is that if they can get consumers panicked about Canadian beef, they can generate pressure on USDA to rescind the Canadian Final Rule due to go into effect March 7. Then, when panicked consumers find out Canadian boxed beef has been entering the country for months, they can protect themselves by not eating any beef in the U.S. at all until mandatory COOL is implemented, according to R-CALF's wishes.

What it boils down to is this: R-CALF is engaged in a high stakes poker game. The stakes are not just R-CALF's $800,000 a year legal affairs budget. They are gambling your money - if you are at all involved anywhere in the beef chain - that they can scare consumers enough to help them achieve their political goals of cutting off beef imports. To them, risking consumer confidence in beef, indeed, risking the future of the whole industry, is a bet they are willing to make, Texas hold'em style, with all their money - and all yours.

They're not only betting everything, they are trying to fill an inside straight. Because they are gambling that if they destroy consumer confidence, if they create a "mad cow" scare and stop the beef market cold, that it will be temporary and they can re-start it later on whenever they want to do so. Such thinking is not only inconceivably, but unbelievably reckless. It is demonstrative of the naiveté of these people who apparently know so little of consumer habits, beef demand and the struggle of the last 30 years to turn this industry around at the consumer level. They evidently imagine that there are magical control valves somewhere to turn demand and consumer confidence in beef safety off and on.

This from the same people who keeping calling for USDA not to announce inconclusive test results on cows because of the depressing effect it has on the market for a few days.

Probably the luckiest thing about this whole debacle is R-CALF's association with Nader's Public Citizen and Carol Tucker Foreman's Consumer Federation of America and Consumer's Union. It's also demonstrating some nasty side effects, although nothing trumps their horribly misguided risk of consumer confidence and misrepresentation of scientific facts for relatively insignificant political goals.

The good thing is that by allying itself with the aforementioned groups, far from achieving the credibility R-CALF wanted, they have branded themselves as one of those groups who scream loudly about danger, imminent risk and threatened consumers. These groups' pronouncements are often, though not always, taken with a large handful of salt by consumers, businesses and sometimes even the gullible, activist, major media outlets. If all the life-threatening crises these alarmists groups claim to have uncovered were real, the entire U.S. population would have to die several times over each year to fulfill their dire predictions.

On the other hand, this kind of shrill tactic means they are taking more leaves out of the consumer activist's notebook given them by PC and CFA, etc. And while grocery store managers will quickly run them out of their stores, union activists may not. These activist groups have union connections and support. Disgruntled inspectors have tried to raise questions about inspection before. Several grocery store chains are negotiating with unions on contracts now. The last thing we need is to be pawns is some union's play for more publicity.

But if they knew the first thing about dealing with real grocery chains, they'd know meat managers hand out nothing that hasn't been cleared with headquarters; nobody stands around handing out "Safety Alert" leaflets in their departments, and grocery chains do not work at damaging the market for the foods they sell. Any CattleWoman who has worked promotions in the meat department can tell you that. As a good friend of mine would opine, "Amateurs, amateurs, amateurs ..."

Only vegetarian, half-hearted organic food marketers like Whole Foods would entertain such a notion. Their CEO has admitted he wished he didn't have to sell meat at all. And their meat department, after all the carrying on about only buying local produce from local producers, hands out brochures on New Zealand grass-fed beef. But I digress.

The bottom line is that if R-CALF fails in its quest to block Canadian cattle imports, they have stated unequivocally that U.S. consumers should avoid eating beef purchased at U.S. grocery stores unless they wish to risk getting "mad cow" disease. If the USDA goes ahead with implementing the Final Rule on March 7 - as they most likely will - any consumer ignorant of the facts who reads R-CALF's Safety Alert sheet, with its inaccurate information and ridiculous scare tactics, would avoid beef totally.

If R-CALF's lawsuit is successful and the border reopening is delayed, another genie's bottle is uncorked. Any number of R-CALF's misleading, exaggerated and inaccurate conjectures in its legal filing could be quoted in the court's ruling, giving more credence and broad media coverage to such scare statements in the general media. And just as many people feel courts should not be making laws; legal briefs throwing everything attorneys can think of against the wall is not the proper and accurate way to establish scientific fact.

And if the curiosity of consumers is aroused and they read R-CALF's other ridiculous statements about beef's supposed continual "health risks to U.S. consumers," disaster could result.

Frankly, I cannot believe there are 12,000 R-CALF members out there who approve of such reckless brinkmanship with their livelihood. If they are concerned about this high stakes poker game with their life on the line, we suggest they get control of their leadership and its attorneys. This is not about turf. This is about survival of an industry.

No one I'm aware of in America is doing more to try to wreck the beef industry than R-CALF is right now. And the local rural communities they claim to be trying to save better be looking at their sheep and wheat hole cards very carefully. They could be the only cards worth anything in the American West if R- CALF gets its way and all beef cards end up in the discard pile.


Steve Dittmer -AFF Sentinel- Volume 2, #7
 
Don't be such A gutless wonder & register for this forum , to make statements on this site whilst hiding behind the title of "guest" is as weak as piss & you are not the only one.
Tully
 
PR or not it is true and that is what is really sad. Can anyone dispute what is written? R-Calf has upped the smear campaign against Canadian Beef in a last ditch attempt to keep the border closed. That is where the DREK lies.
 
Naysayers, that was posted at a very early hour this morning.

We are still waiting for someone from R-CALF to state it is absolutely not true.

Steve Dittmer and the Ag Freedom Foundation is dedicated to exposing and disarming anti-agriculture activists who use scare tactics based on erroneous information to promote their anti-animal/meat agendas.

What if it is factual?

Would it bother any of you if such foolish, dangerous tactics are being used to keep the border closed for possible financial gain of ranchers in the USA?

If you agree with that propaganda, what is your plan for re-building beef demand if consumers believe what you are telling them, especially if your attack to end the Beef Checkoff is successful.

MRJ
 
MRJ said:
Naysayers, that was posted at a very early hour this morning.

We are still waiting for someone from R-CALF to state it is absolutely not true.

Steve Dittmer and the Ag Freedom Foundation is dedicated to exposing and disarming anti-agriculture activists who use scare tactics based on erroneous information to promote their anti-animal/meat agendas.

What if it is factual?

Would it bother any of you if such foolish, dangerous tactics are being used to keep the border closed for possible financial gain of ranchers in the USA?

If you agree with that propaganda, what is your plan for re-building beef demand if consumers believe what you are telling them, especially if your attack to end the Beef Checkoff is successful.

MRJ


Way to many "IF,S"in your post MRJ,with that said how many store managers do you know that have recieved these "safety alert leaflets".........................good luck
 
reader(II),

I have to disagree with your post. The RCALF types I run into are not the ones who seek information to back up RCALF claims. They are simply repeaters of RCALF propaganda. If you hand them facts that disprove RCALF claims, you will find two types of responses. Most never read the facts and will stay with RCALF, the others will quietly let their membership expire (like I did).

BB
 
Straight from the R-Calf USA website. Funny you mention a GRAIN of truth Reader 2nd as there are many misleading statements in R-Calfs "Keep U.S. Beef Safe!" Fact Sheet which they are sending around the country.

BILLINGS, MONT. (February 21, 2005) The Ranchers-Cattlemen's Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) urged consumers today to tell their grocery store managers, butchers, mayors, governors, members of Congress and local health officials: "Keep U.S. Beef Safe!" This call-for-action is part of a nationwide campaign to stop federal officials from dropping crucial food safety protections for imported beef, specifically from Canada. Four cases of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), a deadly disease also known as mad cow, have been identified in Canadian cattle since May 2003.

"The United States has the safest beef in the world, and we want to keep it that way. Even with increased testing we have yet to find one single native case of BSE in U.S. born and raised cattle. For this reason, we are urging consumers to speak out: 'Keep U.S. Beef Safe!'" wrote Leo McDonnell, Jr., President of R-CALF USA, in a letter to every Member of Congress, Governor, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities.

R-CALF USA, which represents over 12,000 ranchers and cattle producers across the country, is enlisting its members to distribute a "Keep U.S. Beef Safe!" fact sheet to area consumers, elected officials, and health officials. R-CALF USA also has posted the fact sheet on its web site, www.r-calfusa.com. It lists facts that R-CALF USA officials said would stop "cold in its tracks" the U.S. Department of Agriculture's March 7th plan to lift the ban against Canadian meat products, if the public knew about the facts and understood the consequences of ignoring them.

"This is an irresponsible and dangerous move. This will put U.S. import standards lower than other major consuming nations," said Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA. "U.S. consumers deserve and expect the highest standards, not lower standards."

Both McDonnell and Bullard emphasized that the U.S. now has effective firewalls in place that reduce the likelihood of the disease in this country. "We test annually over 150,000 more cattle than Canada tests, and Canada has a much higher exposure to European cattle than the U.S. Out of 16,000 animals tested in Alberta, four had mad cow. That kind of rate shows we better learn more about the Canadian system before we open our borders," said McDonnell.

After the discovery of mad cow disease in Great Britain in 1986, USDA halted all cattle and beef trade with BSE infected nations, beginning in 1989. In May 2003, the U.S. halted beef imports from Canada with the first discovery of a Canadian born and raised BSE infected cow. In 2004, USDA attempted to lift the ban against higher-risk Canadian meat products, but R-CALF USA successfully stopped the effort in federal court. Earlier this year, the agency once again announced its intention to open the Canadian borders on March 7th. Again, R-CALF USA filed a lawsuit to stop USDA from lifting the ban. The U.S. District Court in the District of Montana has scheduled a hearing on the matter for March 2 in Billings, Mont.

R-CALF USA has urged USDA to acknowledge how little is known about BSE contamination and how it infects and spreads, both in cattle and humans. There is no known cure for the disease, which has killed at least 150 people, mostly in Great Britain. R-CALF USA also has urged USDA to require a "country of origin" label on meat products; however, the agency opposes mandatory labeling and has convinced Congress to delay implementation of a federal law that requires labeling.

"The imported animals from Canada will not be tested for mad cow," said Chuck Kiker, an R-CALF USA board director from Beaumont, Texas. "And, our consumers won't know where it's from because none of it is labeled for origin. And worst of all, some are going to think they're not exposed to eating Canadian beef because it will carry a USDA inspected stamp. Talk about misleading moms and dads who are buying food for their families!"

Herreid Livestock owner and South Dakota board director, Herman Schumacher said, "Consumers don't need to be exposed to any risk from BSE. Because they care about their consumers, thirty-three countries have banned beef and cattle from Canada and until Canada can prove they're BSE free, we shouldn't let untested cattle cross the border."

In its lawsuit, R-CALF USA argues that USDA has "ignored science." Recent scientific evidence has revealed that the agent responsible for BSE contamination has recently been found not just in nerve tissue, but in muscle tissue as well, raising concerns that standards should be raised, not lowered.

"I'm hoping we will be successful in court again. If enough consumers knew even one or two of these facts, they would stop the decision to lift the ban cold in its track. Until people are able to make an informed decision about what meat to buy for their families, the ban should stay in place," said McDonnell.

###

R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) represents thousands of U.S. cattle producers on domestic and international trade and marketing issues. R-CALF USA, a national, non-profit organization, is dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. R-CALF USA's membership consists primarily of cow-calf operators, cattle backgrounders, and feedlot owners. Its members – over 12,000 strong – are located in 44 states, and the organization has over 57 local and state association affiliates, from both cattle and farm organizations. Various main street businesses are associate members of R-CALF USA. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516.


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

"Keep U.S. Beef Safe!" Fact Sheet

As USDA lowers protections against imported Canadian beef, federal officials refuse to tell consumers where the beef is from. On March 7th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will lift a ban against imported Canadian meat products, essentially gutting existing protections and lowering U.S. standards significantly below international ones practiced by most industrialized countries. USDA takes this step, as it continues to oppose mandatory labeling of meat to provide consumers the choice of steaks and burgers from cattle born and raised in the United States or from cattle or meat products imported from another country. In 2002, Congress passed a law specifically requiring meat products to have a "country of origin" label. USDA has lobbied Congress to delay the law's implementation twice: once in 2002 and again in 2004. The agency has made clear its opposition to mandatory labeling and has sought to have the law repealed.

The USDA inspection stamp is false advertising. Many consumers believe that the USDA Inspection Stamp implies that meat products either come from U.S. cattle and/or have been inspected by U.S. government officials. The truth about the USDA Inspected Stamp is more complicated. The USDA stamp does not mean the meat is from cattle born and raised in the United States. It could be from any one of the 13 countries we import beef from.

BSE has been found in four cows born and raised in Canada in the past 21 months. Why USDA would want to lift the ban on Canadian meat imports is puzzling, given that mad cow disease has been identified in four cows born and raised in Canada during the past 21 months. Canada's first case of BSE was found in May 2003, the second in December 2003 (identified in U.S.; born and raised in Canada), and the third and fourth cases in January 2005.

The one and only case of BSE found in the U.S. was in a cow born and raised in Canada. In December 2003, a Canadian born and raised cow was slaughtered in the State of Washington. Meat from the cow had been packaged and distributed to seven states, before anyone identified the disease in the cow's remains.

To date, no cow born and raised in the U.S. has been detected with BSE. Even prior to growing concerns about mad cow disease, the United States in 1989 adopted some of the world's toughest import safety standards to protect consumers. After over 15 years of testing, not one single case of mad cow has been found in a U.S. born and raised cow. Allowing Canadian cattle to enter into the country before Canada eradicates BSE from its herd is a contradiction of this country's historically successful disease prevention strategy. Lifting the ban also represents a shift in philosophy from preventing and avoiding the problem to increasing the risk of mad cow in this country.

Canada has the weakest control measures of any country with BSE. Of those countries with BSE, Canada has the weakest control measures. For example, Japan tests every slaughtered cow for mad cow disease. European countries test every cow over 30 months. Other countries, such as France, test cows even younger than 30 months.

Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China are among 33 countries that have banned Canadian beef. The Asian rim countries, especially China, have been identified as essential to the growth of U.S. beef exports. By lowering protection standards in this country and allowing imports of Canadian beef, the U.S. meat markets risk extensions of existing bans as well as being banned by other countries in the future. Currently, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, and many other countries have banned meat products from both the U.S. and Canada. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently raised the issue of Japan lifting completely a ban on imports of U.S. beef during a meeting with her Japanese counterpart.

Canada's feed ban is not adequately enforced. News reports originating in Canada indicate that as much as 70% of cattle feed samples tested contained unauthorized animal parts, suggesting that Canada has not adequately enforced its feed ban. A ban on using animal parts in cattle feed is recognized as the single most important measure for controlling BSE.

The U.S. bans consumers from buying drugs from Canada, but wants to open the border to potentially unsafe meat. While federal government officials don't trust Canadian officials to distribute safe pharmaceuticals that are less expensive than American-made drugs, they apparently trust them well enough to sell U.S. consumers their beef.
 
Like it or not we still haven't seen any R-CALFer refute this article. Someone due the research and post the facts to dispute what Dittmer has written.
He maybe has slanted the article but I can't see any factaul errors. Can you? :cowboy:
 
HAY MAKER said:
THIS SOUNDS LIKE PURE DEE OLE BOOL SHEIST.................GOOD LUCK


The King of BOOL SHEIST has spoken . No facts to dipute this article but Haymaker knows BOOL SHEIST. Come on haymaker explain this on away , Oh wait you don't present facts you What is it.

Divert

Discredit


Decieve

What is that other one you know Haymaker , can you tells us?
 
reader (the Second) said:
There are a lot of paid publicists out there and the author of this article appears to fall into this category. It is blatantly PR. I'm not a wild fan of R-CALF but this is drek, as bad as the fanatic vegetarian stuff Mike posted for us to read the other day.

This is the kind of PR it will take to expose R-CALF for what they are. It is about time that people start fighting fire with fire and stop this group of idiots that think destroying consumer confidence is the only way to stop the border from openning, so they can hold on to their high prices. What do you think is going to happen to those prices if they succeed in destroying confidence in ALL BEEF.

R-CALF is playing with a hair triggered fully loaded automatic gun and the North American Beef industry is in the cross hairs. If someone doesn't stop them, and it sure won't be their members, the beef industry will not survive. After BSE was found in Canada our one saving grace was that our consumers had confidence and supported us but everytime R-CALF opens they mouth we take a chance that our consumers confidence will drop. Now that may not matter to you but sure should to a rancher.
 
reader (the Second) said:
Bull Burger said:
reader(II),

I have to disagree with your post. The RCALF types I run into are not the ones who seek information to back up RCALF claims. They are simply repeaters of RCALF propaganda. If you hand them facts that disprove RCALF claims, you will find two types of responses. Most never read the facts and will stay with RCALF, the others will quietly let their membership expire (like I did).

BB

I understand your all's frustration at R-CALF because in the arguments they used against opening the border to Canada to protect U.S. economic interests (primarily), they are walking a dangerous road, considering that the U.S. is likely to have future BSE cases itself, albeit a limited number.

And I definitely understand the Canadian's anger and frustration.

However, based on my reading here and elsewhere, I have to agree with Haymaker and others that if R-CALF's only function was to be a forcing function to get NCBA to move closer to producers and listen to their constituents, it has served a good purpose.

I have to say I don't like the Alisa Harrisons (USDA spokesperson during the Washington cow era) of the world, nor the Bob Bullards of the world -- I dislike blatant disregard of logic and reason in favor of PR, but sometimes this type of skewing of the truth in favor of your "side" is the only way to operate in this political gamesmanship world, I guess.

Is this a wishy-washy enough post??!!!

Hey! You are the one who called the original post drek.

"However, based on my reading here and elsewhere, I have to agree with Haymaker and others that if R-CALF's only function was to be a forcing function to get NCBA to move closer to producers and listen to their constituents, it has served a good purpose."

What about the above articles do you not understand? R-Calfs only function is not and never has been to force NCBA to move closer to producers. The were formed to as an ACTION LEGAL FUND to get the Canadian border closed and now as the past 21 months have shown, will do anything to keep it closed.
 
It's probably getting very close to the day when USDA folds the deck and finds that ever elusive American BSE case. Somebody has to shut these lunatics up before the entire beef industry is lost. :!:
 
Martha S. said:
Straight from the R-Calf USA website. Funny you mention a GRAIN of truth Reader 2nd as there are many misleading statements in R-Calfs "Keep U.S. Beef Safe!" Fact Sheet which they are sending around the country.

BILLINGS, MONT. (February 21, 2005) The Ranchers-Cattlemen's Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) urged consumers today to tell their grocery store managers, butchers, mayors, governors, members of Congress and local health officials: "Keep U.S. Beef Safe!" This call-for-action is part of a nationwide campaign to stop federal officials from dropping crucial food safety protections for imported beef, specifically from Canada. Four cases of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), a deadly disease also known as mad cow, have been identified in Canadian cattle since May 2003.

"The United States has the safest beef in the world, and we want to keep it that way. Even with increased testing we have yet to find one single native case of BSE in U.S. born and raised cattle. For this reason, we are urging consumers to speak out: 'Keep U.S. Beef Safe!'" wrote Leo McDonnell, Jr., President of R-CALF USA, in a letter to every Member of Congress, Governor, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities.

R-CALF USA, which represents over 12,000 ranchers and cattle producers across the country, is enlisting its members to distribute a "Keep U.S. Beef Safe!" fact sheet to area consumers, elected officials, and health officials. R-CALF USA also has posted the fact sheet on its web site, www.r-calfusa.com. It lists facts that R-CALF USA officials said would stop "cold in its tracks" the U.S. Department of Agriculture's March 7th plan to lift the ban against Canadian meat products, if the public knew about the facts and understood the consequences of ignoring them.

"This is an irresponsible and dangerous move. This will put U.S. import standards lower than other major consuming nations," said Bill Bullard, CEO of R-CALF USA. "U.S. consumers deserve and expect the highest standards, not lower standards."

Both McDonnell and Bullard emphasized that the U.S. now has effective firewalls in place that reduce the likelihood of the disease in this country. "We test annually over 150,000 more cattle than Canada tests, and Canada has a much higher exposure to European cattle than the U.S. Out of 16,000 animals tested in Alberta, four had mad cow. That kind of rate shows we better learn more about the Canadian system before we open our borders," said McDonnell.

After the discovery of mad cow disease in Great Britain in 1986, USDA halted all cattle and beef trade with BSE infected nations, beginning in 1989. In May 2003, the U.S. halted beef imports from Canada with the first discovery of a Canadian born and raised BSE infected cow. In 2004, USDA attempted to lift the ban against higher-risk Canadian meat products, but R-CALF USA successfully stopped the effort in federal court. Earlier this year, the agency once again announced its intention to open the Canadian borders on March 7th. Again, R-CALF USA filed a lawsuit to stop USDA from lifting the ban. The U.S. District Court in the District of Montana has scheduled a hearing on the matter for March 2 in Billings, Mont.

R-CALF USA has urged USDA to acknowledge how little is known about BSE contamination and how it infects and spreads, both in cattle and humans. There is no known cure for the disease, which has killed at least 150 people, mostly in Great Britain. R-CALF USA also has urged USDA to require a "country of origin" label on meat products; however, the agency opposes mandatory labeling and has convinced Congress to delay implementation of a federal law that requires labeling.

"The imported animals from Canada will not be tested for mad cow," said Chuck Kiker, an R-CALF USA board director from Beaumont, Texas. "And, our consumers won't know where it's from because none of it is labeled for origin. And worst of all, some are going to think they're not exposed to eating Canadian beef because it will carry a USDA inspected stamp. Talk about misleading moms and dads who are buying food for their families!"

Herreid Livestock owner and South Dakota board director, Herman Schumacher said, "Consumers don't need to be exposed to any risk from BSE. Because they care about their consumers, thirty-three countries have banned beef and cattle from Canada and until Canada can prove they're BSE free, we shouldn't let untested cattle cross the border."

In its lawsuit, R-CALF USA argues that USDA has "ignored science." Recent scientific evidence has revealed that the agent responsible for BSE contamination has recently been found not just in nerve tissue, but in muscle tissue as well, raising concerns that standards should be raised, not lowered.

"I'm hoping we will be successful in court again. If enough consumers knew even one or two of these facts, they would stop the decision to lift the ban cold in its track. Until people are able to make an informed decision about what meat to buy for their families, the ban should stay in place," said McDonnell.

###

R-CALF USA (Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, United Stockgrowers of America) represents thousands of U.S. cattle producers on domestic and international trade and marketing issues. R-CALF USA, a national, non-profit organization, is dedicated to ensuring the continued profitability and viability of the U.S. cattle industry. R-CALF USA's membership consists primarily of cow-calf operators, cattle backgrounders, and feedlot owners. Its members – over 12,000 strong – are located in 44 states, and the organization has over 57 local and state association affiliates, from both cattle and farm organizations. Various main street businesses are associate members of R-CALF USA. For more information, visit www.r-calfusa.com or, call 406-252-2516.


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

"Keep U.S. Beef Safe!" Fact Sheet

As USDA lowers protections against imported Canadian beef, federal officials refuse to tell consumers where the beef is from. On March 7th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will lift a ban against imported Canadian meat products, essentially gutting existing protections and lowering U.S. standards significantly below international ones practiced by most industrialized countries. USDA takes this step, as it continues to oppose mandatory labeling of meat to provide consumers the choice of steaks and burgers from cattle born and raised in the United States or from cattle or meat products imported from another country. In 2002, Congress passed a law specifically requiring meat products to have a "country of origin" label. USDA has lobbied Congress to delay the law's implementation twice: once in 2002 and again in 2004. The agency has made clear its opposition to mandatory labeling and has sought to have the law repealed.

The USDA inspection stamp is false advertising. Many consumers believe that the USDA Inspection Stamp implies that meat products either come from U.S. cattle and/or have been inspected by U.S. government officials. The truth about the USDA Inspected Stamp is more complicated. The USDA stamp does not mean the meat is from cattle born and raised in the United States. It could be from any one of the 13 countries we import beef from.

BSE has been found in four cows born and raised in Canada in the past 21 months. Why USDA would want to lift the ban on Canadian meat imports is puzzling, given that mad cow disease has been identified in four cows born and raised in Canada during the past 21 months. Canada's first case of BSE was found in May 2003, the second in December 2003 (identified in U.S.; born and raised in Canada), and the third and fourth cases in January 2005.

The one and only case of BSE found in the U.S. was in a cow born and raised in Canada. In December 2003, a Canadian born and raised cow was slaughtered in the State of Washington. Meat from the cow had been packaged and distributed to seven states, before anyone identified the disease in the cow's remains.

To date, no cow born and raised in the U.S. has been detected with BSE. Even prior to growing concerns about mad cow disease, the United States in 1989 adopted some of the world's toughest import safety standards to protect consumers. After over 15 years of testing, not one single case of mad cow has been found in a U.S. born and raised cow. Allowing Canadian cattle to enter into the country before Canada eradicates BSE from its herd is a contradiction of this country's historically successful disease prevention strategy. Lifting the ban also represents a shift in philosophy from preventing and avoiding the problem to increasing the risk of mad cow in this country.

Canada has the weakest control measures of any country with BSE. Of those countries with BSE, Canada has the weakest control measures. For example, Japan tests every slaughtered cow for mad cow disease. European countries test every cow over 30 months. Other countries, such as France, test cows even younger than 30 months.

Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China are among 33 countries that have banned Canadian beef. The Asian rim countries, especially China, have been identified as essential to the growth of U.S. beef exports. By lowering protection standards in this country and allowing imports of Canadian beef, the U.S. meat markets risk extensions of existing bans as well as being banned by other countries in the future. Currently, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, and many other countries have banned meat products from both the U.S. and Canada. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently raised the issue of Japan lifting completely a ban on imports of U.S. beef during a meeting with her Japanese counterpart.

Canada's feed ban is not adequately enforced. News reports originating in Canada indicate that as much as 70% of cattle feed samples tested contained unauthorized animal parts, suggesting that Canada has not adequately enforced its feed ban. A ban on using animal parts in cattle feed is recognized as the single most important measure for controlling BSE.

The U.S. bans consumers from buying drugs from Canada, but wants to open the border to potentially unsafe meat. While federal government officials don't trust Canadian officials to distribute safe pharmaceuticals that are less expensive than American-made drugs, they apparently trust them well enough to sell U.S. consumers their beef.

Which statements are misleading? The ones about Canada having a week BSE surveillance system? The feed ban statement? Those are the ones that seem misleading to me anyway.
 
WHEN a CANADIAN animal is found with BSE here in the states that came over after the March 7entry day???
 
R-CALF: "The United States has the safest beef in the world, and we want to keep it that way."

Yesterday R-CULT said "USDA and the large packers care more about money than food safety"?

Who was it that prohibited "M"ID from "M"COOL???

None other than R-CULT!

Flip floppers!


R-CALF: "Even with increased testing we have yet to find one single native case of BSE in U.S. born and raised cattle."

The origination of the Washington cow does not circumvent the fact that it was found in the U.S. The origin is a "red herring".


R-CALF: "Both McDonnell and Bullard emphasized that the U.S. now has effective firewalls in place that reduce the likelihood of the disease in this country. "We test annually over 150,000 more cattle than Canada tests, and Canada has a much higher exposure to European cattle than the U.S. Out of 16,000 animals tested in Alberta, four had mad cow."

The number of cattle Canada tests in comparison to the number of cattle the U.S. tests is typical R-CULT deception.

The United States has that many more cattle, DUH!

Canada is also diligent in testing the highest risk categories to find them and clean up their herd.


R-CALF: "In 2004, USDA attempted to lift the ban against higher-risk Canadian meat products, but R-CALF USA successfully stopped the effort in federal court."

Look at that. R-CULT once again forgets how their arguments contradict eachother. Here, R-CULT admits that there is differentiation in risk of certain products yet they turn right around and disregard these precautionary measures when talking about the safety of Canadian beef and live cattle.


R-CALF: "R-CALF USA also has urged USDA to require a "country of origin" label on meat products; however, the agency opposes mandatory labeling and has convinced Congress to delay implementation of a federal law that requires labeling."

Canadian beef products are already labeled to their country of origin.


R-CALF: "Herreid Livestock owner and South Dakota board director, Herman Schumacher said, "Consumers don't need to be exposed to any risk from BSE."

The king of "fear mongerers". Consumers don't have to worry because SRM's are removed, surveilance has increased in the highest risk categories, and the feed ban is in place. JUST LIKE IN THE U.S. FEAR MONGERING HERMAN!


R-CALF: "Canada has the weakest control measures of any country with BSE. Of those countries with BSE, Canada has the weakest control measures. For example, Japan tests every slaughtered cow for mad cow disease. European countries test every cow over 30 months. Other countries, such as France, test cows even younger than 30 months."

Comparing Canada to the EU shows just what lengths R-CALF will go to to scare consumers.


R-CALF: "Canada's feed ban is not adequately enforced. News reports originating in Canada indicate that as much as 70% of cattle feed samples tested contained unauthorized animal parts, suggesting that Canada has not adequately enforced its feed ban. A ban on using animal parts in cattle feed is recognized as the single most important measure for controlling BSE."

That is total bullsh*t! Typical of R-CULT's lying ways.

The unauthorized animal parts could have been bird and rodent crap which doesn't have a damn thing to do with ruminant by products.

Testing feed samples in the U.S. would reveal the same thing.


This is so typical of the lies being spread by R-CULT!



~SH~
 
The funny thing is the some of those samples that the CFIA found were imported from THE USA and there is nothing the CFIA can do to check and see if those plants are cleaning up the problem.

If origin was the only thing that mattered then the US would have had their export markets back as soon as the DNA test was back that proved the cow was from Canada, but since their are still not open that argument was wiped right off the board.

As far as the 4 cattle that had BSE 3 were found in Alberta's testing and one in the US testing. so unless you want to add the US test numbers to the ones tested by Alberta then you can't lump result together either.

I'm surprized that R-CALF would bring attention to the US surveillance program as some one might notice that the USDA isn't testing the catagory of cattle recommended by the OIE to find BSE.

Just who put the US consumers in risk with the Washington cow it wasn't Canada it was the US slaughter system she was in. No BSE positive cattle have been slaughtered and mixed into human food in Canada!!!!!

All you have to do is spend some time reading the reports on the USDA and FDA web sites and you will see that, if you could bank credibility the US beef system wouldn't have enough to open an account. They have no means of tracing animals on a national bases, the Testing is a joke and the feed ban compliance is questionable. Many US ranchers were hoping that the origin of the Washington cow would save them but it hasn't. So unless the true prevalance of BSE is found and an honest try to clean up the system is put forth I see the US ranchers having a big problem in the future.
 
Imagine; R-calf attempting to quote the science of BSE. Any organization that I belong to had better be more credible then R- calf or I would be withdrawing my membership fast.

Their rant about Canadian surveillance being inadequate is totally off base. We are way ahead of OIE requirements and are testing 4D animals as recommended for maximum effect. OIE standards state that testing one 4D animal is recognized as being as effective as testing 100 older but healthy cows!! Testing healthy slaughter cows just doesn't cut it!!
 

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