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U.S. group claims banned Canadian cows moving across border

flounder

Well-known member
Friday, June 15th, 2007
U.S. group claims banned Canadian cows moving across the border
Canadian Press
WASHINGTON (CP) - A U.S. food safety group is complaining that older Canadian cows are making their way across the border despite the fact that they're still banned.

In a letter this week to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Michael Johanns, Food and Water Watch claims cattle older than 30 months, thought to be at higher risk of mad cow disease, are "routinely" entering the U.S. food supply.

The watchdog group attached affidavits from five unnamed government inspection workers at slaughterhouses in three states.

The workers say there have been direct orders from supervisors not to intervene when an older Canadian animal is being processed, in violation of regulations.

They say policies are inconsistent from one plant to another and complain they can't physically examine the animals to see if the age matches the paperwork.

"Americans should be worried about the impact of older Canadian cattle on the food supply because of the combination of the potentially greater risk ... with the lax border control and weaker slaughterhouse controls in the United States," said the group.

But Steven Cohen, a spokesman for the Food Safety and Inspection Service, said the department's safeguards are clear and thorough.

"Every animal that comes from Canada for slaughter arrives with an import certificate that lists its age and identification in months," he said.

"If any FSIS inspector questions an animal's eligibility for slaughter, designated ... personnel are required to be notified."

The animal is held until a final determination is made, he said.

The food safety group is opposed to U.S. plans to resume trade in older cattle, perhaps within months.

Meantime, a U.S. appeals court is scheduled to hear arguments next month in the latest bid by a persistent American ranchers group to restrict all Canadian cattle imports.

The case, pursued for years by the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, or R-CALF, will get another airing July 13 in Portland, in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Montana-based group's legal fight was successful in delaying the beef trade after Canada's first mad cow case in May 2003, prolonging a crisis that has cost Canadian ranchers billions.

Trade in younger cows resumed in 2005.

Canada and the United States have received got good marks on beef safety from the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health.

They both received a "controlled risk" designation, the second-highest safety label.

There have been 10 cases of mad cow or bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or BSE, in Canada and three south of the border.


http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=58644



tss
 

PORKER

Well-known member
Every animal that comes from Canada for slaughter arrives with an import certificate that lists its age and identification in months," he said.

Where Oh Where is that Canadian Database ?
 

Silver

Well-known member
PORKER said:
Every animal that comes from Canada for slaughter arrives with an import certificate that lists its age and identification in months," he said.

Where Oh Where is that Canadian Database ?

CCIA
 

Mrs.Greg

Well-known member
PORKER said:
Every animal that comes from Canada for slaughter arrives with an import certificate that lists its age and identification in months," he said.

Where Oh Where is that Canadian Database ?
If they truly are crossing the border,maybe you should ask this question to YOUR border patrol that LET the supposed cattle cross over into YOUR country :roll: :)
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Mrs.Greg said:
PORKER said:
Every animal that comes from Canada for slaughter arrives with an import certificate that lists its age and identification in months," he said.

Where Oh Where is that Canadian Database ?
If they truly are crossing the border,maybe you should ask this question to YOUR border patrol that LET the supposed cattle cross over into YOUR country :roll: :)

When you have a government/Administration that doesn't seem to believe in the rule of law for ALL and believe in selective enforcement for the benefit of their elite corporate benifactors (ex.-immigration, antitrust, GIPSA, etc. etc.)-- this becomes much more believable....

And then some of these new Immigration/Homeland Security folks would make you cringe if you knew their past histories... :roll: Right after 9/11 and the creation of Homeland Security there was a mad rush to put more bodies on the borders-- and in some cases, thats all they got was a body because the mind was gone.... :roll: Put a huge importance on college and degrees- but must not have done much background checking... One fella I know now manning a port on the northern border was known as the local "burnout"-- years in Missoula (University of Montana) smoking dope had fryed a good portion of his brain... And the stories are running wild about if you want to get something across the border- you just leave a few hundreds lying around the cab and he has "selective" eyesight...(And yes I have contacted some folks on it...)
 

elwapo

Well-known member
It is irrelevent now that both countries are classified as "minimal risk". Cattle of all ages will again cross the border soon. Just as they have for the past 125 years.
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
elwapo said:
It is irrelevent now that both countries are classified as "minimal risk". Cattle of all ages will again cross the border soon. Just as they have for the past 125 years.

That classification is only as good as the people making it.
 

rkaiser

Well-known member
Sandhusker
That classification is only as good as the people making it.

More so the motives behind the "people making it"

Rcalf science is a bit different than OIE or USDA or CFIA or Kaiser. All bent to suit our own individual or collective needs.
 

Ben Roberts

Well-known member
Sandhusker said:
elwapo said:
It is irrelevent now that both countries are classified as "minimal risk". Cattle of all ages will again cross the border soon. Just as they have for the past 125 years.

That classification is only as good as the people making it.

True, but the organizations making that classification, are the ones that are in control of the border!

Best Regards
Ben Roberts
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
elwapo said:
It is irrelevent now that both countries are classified as "minimal risk". Cattle of all ages will again cross the border soon. Just as they have for the past 125 years.

Both countries are classified as "controlled risk" under OIE-- their is no world rating called "minimal risk" anymore......

Maybe I've missed it-- but in OIE's "controlled risk" that they gave the US and Canada- where does it allow the trading of live animals and SRM and SRM containing materials back and forth across borders.... :???:

If it is in the rules- I'd like to see it.....

The only place I've found that so far is in this "minimal risk" classification that USDA dreamt up especially for Canada and the Corporate Packers....
 
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