A
Anonymous
Guest
Published on Friday, December 28, 2007
Guest Opinion: New USDA rule threatens safety of U.S. beef market
By SENATOR BYRON DORGAN and SENATOR MIKE ENZI
Beef is a staple in the diets of most Americans. Whether it is consumed in a hamburger for lunch or a steak at dinner - many Americans consume some form of beef every week. Millions around the world do the same.
American livestock producers work hard to ensure the beef they produce is the best and safest in the world, and it is. As a result, consumers worldwide buy American beef with confidence. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture could harm the work of American livestock producers with its recent approval of a rule that allows imported beef from Canada with higher risk for mad cow disease into our country.
That rule change threatens the American beef "brand" because of Canada's ongoing experience with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, otherwise known as mad cow disease. Twelve cases of BSE have been detected in Canadian-born cattle, eight since the beginning of last year, the latest of which was announced on Dec. 18. Resuming unrestricted imports for this higher-risk beef means when consumers - in America or around the globe - buy our beef, they won't know for certain that they are getting beef U.S. producers worked so hard to keep safe. This rule change allows older, higher-risk Canadian beef to enter the U.S. market and be mixed with our own beef.
Clearly, that will cause some to look to elsewhere, with considerable harm to the U.S. beef industry.
Key age restriction
USDA previously allowed cattle younger than 30 months of age to be imported from Canada. This age restriction is important because younger animals are less likely to be at risk for infection with BSE. The rule, adopted Nov. 19, allows all animals born after March 1, 1999, to enter the United States. The rule also allows beef from animals that were slaughtered in Canada to be imported into the United States without an age restriction.
In recent months, American consumers have come face to face with the reality that food products from other nations can be tainted and diseased. Our food safety procedures need more scrutiny, not less. We want the USDA to take seriously its responsibility to keep unsafe meat from crossing our borders, and to protect hard-won confidence in the American beef supply. Now is not the time for the United States to weaken its food safety standards.
Senate resolution
We are working together in the Senate to ensure that consumers can continue to count on American beef to be the healthiest and safest in the world. We have introduced legislation, Senate Joint Resolution 20, which would halt implementation of the USDA rule which went into effect on Nov. 19.
We are trying to roll back this rule that could damage to our domestic cattle industry.
American ranchers worked hard to earn the confidence consumers in America and around the globe rightfully have in the quality and safety of American beef. Government policies should do nothing to diminish that.
U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan is a Democrat from North Dakota. U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi is a Republican from Wyoming.
Guest Opinion: New USDA rule threatens safety of U.S. beef market
By SENATOR BYRON DORGAN and SENATOR MIKE ENZI
Beef is a staple in the diets of most Americans. Whether it is consumed in a hamburger for lunch or a steak at dinner - many Americans consume some form of beef every week. Millions around the world do the same.
American livestock producers work hard to ensure the beef they produce is the best and safest in the world, and it is. As a result, consumers worldwide buy American beef with confidence. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture could harm the work of American livestock producers with its recent approval of a rule that allows imported beef from Canada with higher risk for mad cow disease into our country.
That rule change threatens the American beef "brand" because of Canada's ongoing experience with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, otherwise known as mad cow disease. Twelve cases of BSE have been detected in Canadian-born cattle, eight since the beginning of last year, the latest of which was announced on Dec. 18. Resuming unrestricted imports for this higher-risk beef means when consumers - in America or around the globe - buy our beef, they won't know for certain that they are getting beef U.S. producers worked so hard to keep safe. This rule change allows older, higher-risk Canadian beef to enter the U.S. market and be mixed with our own beef.
Clearly, that will cause some to look to elsewhere, with considerable harm to the U.S. beef industry.
Key age restriction
USDA previously allowed cattle younger than 30 months of age to be imported from Canada. This age restriction is important because younger animals are less likely to be at risk for infection with BSE. The rule, adopted Nov. 19, allows all animals born after March 1, 1999, to enter the United States. The rule also allows beef from animals that were slaughtered in Canada to be imported into the United States without an age restriction.
In recent months, American consumers have come face to face with the reality that food products from other nations can be tainted and diseased. Our food safety procedures need more scrutiny, not less. We want the USDA to take seriously its responsibility to keep unsafe meat from crossing our borders, and to protect hard-won confidence in the American beef supply. Now is not the time for the United States to weaken its food safety standards.
Senate resolution
We are working together in the Senate to ensure that consumers can continue to count on American beef to be the healthiest and safest in the world. We have introduced legislation, Senate Joint Resolution 20, which would halt implementation of the USDA rule which went into effect on Nov. 19.
We are trying to roll back this rule that could damage to our domestic cattle industry.
American ranchers worked hard to earn the confidence consumers in America and around the globe rightfully have in the quality and safety of American beef. Government policies should do nothing to diminish that.
U.S. Sen. Byron Dorgan is a Democrat from North Dakota. U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi is a Republican from Wyoming.