(US) Gov't Ends Search for Mad Cow Disease

[underpants]

49 minutes ago

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=3&u=/ap/20040209/ap_on_re_us/mad_cow


WASHINGTON - The Agriculture Department is ending its search for additional cases of mad cow disease even though officials have not found several animals suspected of having eaten the potentially infectious feed believed to have caused the only known U.S. case.

"Our investigation is now complete," Dr. Ron DeHaven, the department's chief veterinarian, said Monday. "We feel very confident the remaining animals, the ones we have not been able to positively identify, represent little risk."

The closure leaves officials not knowing what happened to 11 head of cattle among 25 that authorities say were most likely to have eaten the same feed as that given to a Holstein diagnosed in Washington state with mad cow after it was slaughtered on Dec. 9.

An international review panel created by Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said last week that U.S. officials had done a thorough job of searching for the animals but added that more focus should be put on preventing future cases.

Also unknown is what happened to all 10,410 pounds of meat that was recalled from the Washington state slaughterhouse that processed the Holstein and mixed its meat with that of 19 other animals. They expect some may have been eaten. However, the meat supply is safe, DeHaven said. USDA had said the parts of the Holstein that could have contained infectious material, such as the brain and spinal cord, were removed before processing.

[shance]

1. Wow that was quick! All the important things get so much attention

with this Administration, dont they?

[LisaM]

2. Gee, great.

I've eaten beef exactly ONCE since December, and I guess I won't be doing so again anytime soon (I live in Washington state.)

[underpants]

4. Remain calm !! All is well!!!

Eat buy consume.

Yeah I have been a little careful myself.

[DustMolecule]

7. Me too...I've only had beef once since December as well

and quite frankly, I just really really didn't enjoy that 'once'...I guess that made it easier for me to stay away from it altogether now. I would happily 'go back' to eating beef if the USDA starts testing every animal like they do in Japan - OR I wonder if one can order Japanese beef online? Anybody know?

[Whoa_Nelly]

3. Is this a way to decrease the US population?

Unknown beef in food chain, unkown/unidentified cattle. I gave up beef years ago, but most in my family still eat it regularly.

Bureaucracy sucks....

[Karenina]

6. Errraaa... YES!

No nasty pix, very few reliable stats. They've learned from their predecessors... :shrug:

[Barrett808]

5. Undoubtedly killed at the political level

Un-frickin-believable.

[jus_the_facts]

8. This tells me they know it's useless to even try anymore.......

.....they've allowed corporations to manipulate our ENTIRE food supply with chemicals...growth hormones...pestisides...preservatives...etc...etc...and have been for decades...there is no such thing as gov't protection anymore...it's a corp. free for all and it seems nothing is ever gonna turn it all back to the way it WAS...ever again! :puke:

[Djinn]

9. unfortunately swearing off beef

wont neccesarilly save you from contracting vCJD many many products are made from rendered cows including the fat that most cafes & take-aways use for frying (and you thought those fries were vegetarian) it's used in most products that utilise gelatine not to mention many pharmacuetical products.

Many times the ingredients will be listed but do you know ALL the different names of products rendered from cows? and often they wont be labelled at all.

But that said - just to be patriotic, if anyone feels like (apparently) BSE free meat...

http://www.bluegumbeef.com.au/