U.S. mad cow coverup alleged

[Maple]

U.S. mad cow coverup alleged
American records not credible, former packing plant vet says

Duncan Thorne
The Edmonton Journal
Thursday, April 07, 2005

EDMONTON - A former American government packing plant veterinarian says the United States government is hiding cases of mad cow disease.

Dr. Lester Friedlander said Wednesday that colleagues with the United States Department of Agriculture have told him of cases that the USDA has chosen not to announce.

Friedlander, who has been invited to speak to Parliament's agriculture committee next week on proposed changes to Canadian inspection legislation, refused to give details. He said the USDA employees are close to retirement and risk losing their pensions.

He has previously spoken out, however, about a Texas cow that had mad cow symptoms and went untested to a rendering plant after a USDA veterinarian condemned it at a packing plant in San Angelo.

http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/news/cityplus/story.html?id=ac626610-a801-4e81-9ba1-71bf85d17c26

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Why we don't eat red meat

[Maple]

3. It's not

restricted to red meat.

[htuttle]

2. If anyone trusts the USDA under Bush, they are a fool

Actually, the same goes for the FDA, the EPA, and a whole bunch of other acronyms.

I can't prove it, but I'm quite certain that mad cow has been present in our beef cattle for a long time. I think it gets mistaken for Alzheimers.

I remember the earliest cases I heard were mink at a mink farm in Central Wisconsin decades ago. The mink had been getting fed 'downed cattle'. Where do you suppose they caught the mad cow disease?

[Maple]

4. We call the US policy SSS

Shoot, Shovel and Shaddap.

[htuttle]

6. Nowdays, I won't eat a cow unless we've been properly acquainted first

While I do live in farm country, I haven't taken the time to go meet some cows, so I just gave it up.

I've had my eyes peeled for reports of prion disease in birds and fishes. I haven't seen any yet, not even in the London Zoo, so I'm still eating free-range chicken and turkey. However, it's possible that it just never shows up in poultry because their lifespans are so short.

[whistle]

5. It was sent to a rendering plant? That means it's in the food chain...

...of animal feed all over the country now.

[Maple]

7. Rebuttal

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1377764