caesar Posted June 26, 2004 Report Share Posted June 26, 2004 There is a possible new case of BSE in a cow in the USA. This is not a positive test, yet. If there is not a cover up; and a second case of BSE is found in the USA; should we close our borders to any American Beef. Personally, I believe that unless the USA can blame this cow on Canada ; it will be claimed to have been unproven in the more accurate testing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idealisttotheend Posted June 26, 2004 Report Share Posted June 26, 2004 If it is trueit would probably work well for Canadian ranchers. America would have to open it's borders or risk having the rest of the world shutting their borders to said Americans. This could actually be the breakthrough a lot of people have been waiting for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Blair Posted June 30, 2004 Report Share Posted June 30, 2004 We had a meeting in Winnipeg a week or so ago of beef-producing countries. A guy from Ireland gave a speech on how to solve our BSE that was good enough to get him on the radio (missed his name and affiliation and everything else). His main point was that we had to stop allowing animal matter into any livestock feed though. That way cows cannot, accidentally or on purpose, eat pig or chicken feed that could infect them. We also need to test every animal. It's time to start feeding herbivores nothing but plants again. Why we ever got away from that is a testament to greed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caesar Posted July 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 I have been saying that for a long time. That includes the disgusting practice of using blood products instead of milk to feed calves. There are now 2 possible cases. If they are positive; look for the USA to attempt to fost them off as Canadian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reverend Blair Posted July 1, 2004 Report Share Posted July 1, 2004 I've been saying it for a long time too, Caesar. Ever since I first heard of it as a matter of fact...back in the eighties. This Irish guy was speaking from the Irish experience though...they turned things around there. Hopefully the industry and government will pay some attention to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caesar Posted July 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 That is one of Japan's bei beefs and why they will not reopen their market to North American beef. The Japanese believe that the feeding of calves with blood products is where their cases originate. It does make sense. The majority of diagnosed cows are old dairy cows. Beef cows would probably be allowed to suckle their calves as their milk is not used for market. Calves from dairy cows are more likely to be fed with blood products. I agree; cut out all meat products being fed to herbiverous animals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maplesyrup Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Possible New Case of Mad Cow Disease Found Suspicions about another case of the disease came because of an inconclusive test result, officials said. "The inconclusive result does not mean we have found another case of BSE in this country," said Andrea Morgan, associate deputy administrator of the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. She said the inconclusive results "are a normal component of screening tests, which are designed to be extremely sensitive so they will detect any sample that could possibly be positive." Gee, I wonder what the tests will show this time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimmy Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 It's starting to seem as thought the Americans' opportunism in banning Canadian beef will come back to haunt them. During the ban, Canadian beef processing capacity has more than doubled, while American processing plants in the northern states have suffered due to the lack of Canadian cattle to slaughter. During the ban, Canadian beef exports have been edging out American exports in Europe and other markets. A proven case of BSE in American cattle will probably increase the demand for Canadian beef further, giving Canada's industry further opportunity to use the new capacity it has developed during the US ban. For the Canadian beef industry, this is perhaps a case of adversity making you stronger, and for the American beef industry, "ye reap what ye sow." -kimmy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfie Canadian Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 It's starting to seem as thought the Americans' opportunism in banning Canadian beef will come back to haunt them. I know it's not the polite way to be, but I hope so kimmy. They deserve a little of their own medicine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maplesyrup Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 Careful, this could come back to haunt Canada even more. US has total control of the testing, etc. don't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cartman Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 I truly feel sorry for legit. ranchers that have been negatively affected by this whole affair, but we should stop blaming the Americans for this. I buy my meat from a small family ranch operation down the road because I trust them. I am not very confident about what is out there on the market. BSE is just one of several problems with this industry and if we spent more time regulating and less time whining, we could probably reassure more folks about the safety of the product. If you keep pumping crap into these animals, these things are inevitable and people will not want the product. I could be wrong, but I think we also have a similar policy (to the US) to ban such products when these problems emerge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfie Canadian Posted November 18, 2004 Report Share Posted November 18, 2004 I believe that during the last confirmed tests Canadian labs had access to materials from the animal for our own independent tests. The deciding factor may be the trace back of the cow's origins. Last time, the Canadian process was more reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maplesyrup Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Third Test Is Ordered in Possible Mad Cow Case But David Ropeik, director of risk communication at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, said the two preliminary tests do raise the odds that this animal would be confirmed as a positive case. "If it only comes back once, it is not as suggestive as if it comes back twice," he said. "This increases the likelihood this cow may be positive, but it is not like a sure thing." There are lab records from other tests on other animals that they will not release to the public. I wonder why! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoker Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 I know it's not the polite way to be, but I hope so kimmy.They deserve a little of their own medicine. And what if the cow is traced back to a Canadian herd? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maplesyrup Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Maybe we need to demand independent international lab testing for these situations. Just like we don't like having the police investigate themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoker Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Maybe we need to demand independent international lab testing for these situations. Just like we don't like having the police investigate themselves. Sure, that sounds logical.........but I'm sure we see that logic from a different stance So what happen if the international body finds that the cow came from a Canadian herd? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caesar Posted November 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 I am sure that has already been done or the cow would have been kept under wraps. Whatever happened with that American Rancher who owned the first "Canadian" mad cow????? Still think there was something fishy there with testing coming 6 months after cow was killed and destroyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfie Canadian Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 And what if the cow is traced back to a Canadian herd? Could it get any worse? The border isn't open to live cattle despite assurances from the President and US ambassador over the last year. It would force us to jump ahead of the Americans and institute a full test system, in which every animal going to slaughter would be tested. That would open up markets for the beef in other places like Japan. While I wouldn't wish hardship on the ranchers and cattle producers, I think this (instituting a full test system) would be the silver lining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cartman Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Look everyone has to clean up their acts on this issue. Stop trying to defend the industry at any cost and start to initiate rapid and strict changes. I still remember when Oprah showed people how US ranchers treat animals destined for food consumption. Rather than take the criticism as valid and alter their methods, they tried to sue her?! She ended up spanking them by bringing her entire show down there. Our politicians must change their attitutes too. Scientists critical of public policy should not just be suspended when they are right. If the Liberals had just listened to their union from the beginning when they made these criticisms, none of this would be happening right now. Remember that mad cow in Alberta? The one our minister said never went out for consumption? Well, it was rendered and will go back into the animal food chain and possibly back into our food chain. If they find another case or so, we are completely screwed as the entire industry will be gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eureka Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Going back into our food chain may be something that bears closer investigation, too. I remember hearing a radio interview with the author of a book on some human ailments. He theorised that diseases like Alzheimers were modern diseases caused by things like BSE and put it down to hamburgers and like delicacies. His thought was that that this type of meat combined the products of many animals with the resulting spread widely of any of the organisms that could be at fault. The author was a former chief coroner of Toronto so I think he should be taken seriously. There was more to it than that but it was some time ago and I don't recall more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cartman Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 To my knowledge, the first case of mad cow was identified in England in the mid-1980's. The British government insisted that everything was fine and continued to export infected cattle and feed around the globe including Canada. They also initially claimed that Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (CJD) in humans was not related to this problem. They said as much until other countries would no longer accept their meat products. All along, they claimed that they had an adequate tracing program when they did not. We know how this ended. Their industry was essentially destroyed and many of us probably recall how they had to destroy millions of cattle. We are doing the exact same thing here. We have rendered infected animals who have then been fed to other animals. Our industry initially claimed to have a perfect tracking program, but when pressed to locate the origins of these animals, the answer was muddled and quietly avoided. We claim that there was only one infected animal and it was from the US but we do not know this. Blood products and possibly infected feed are still given to some animals. The problem is not solved and scientists who complain are suspended when they "blow the whistle". I feel terrible for the decent ranchers negatively affected or destroyed by this problem, but it is a problem that we have helped perpetuate. Everywhere here, there are bumper stickers saying "I love Alberta beef" and "Back your beef", BBQ's to support the industry and ranchers have even sold meat out of trucks without gov't inspection because prices are so poor. We pretend that we are completely innocent and victims of unfair US trading practices or blame the feds for poor relations with the US. Some even blame Parrish for crying out loud. This has turned into a circus. The problem still exists and I suspect that it is just a matter of time before more cases of this and many other diseases are reported. What we need is stronger and transparent gov't regulation, whistle blower legislation and to stop injecting animals with hormone and feeding animal products to herbivores! The Canadian industry is mad and the global market irrational. But. to say as much in Alberta is to generate fury, so people just put their heads in the sand but the problem will not just go away that easily. This is not the end of this problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maplesyrup Posted November 19, 2004 Report Share Posted November 19, 2004 Cartman.......excellent post. We are in major denial here about what we eat, and where it come from. Klein is one of the worst perpetrators of this situation, always wanting to take a shorcut and risk people's lives, and then bailing out the big boys when the shit hits the fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cartman Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 We are in major denial here about what we eat, and where it come from. The sad thing is that the problem will continue long after our current politicians have retired on their pensions. Remember, the pensions that they were initially going to refuse in the name of "fiscal conservatism"? Politicians like Klein will get their pensions and awards, maybe a library will be named after him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maplesyrup Posted November 20, 2004 Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 Changes Aim at Better Mad Cow Testing One think you have to give the transnationals credit for is that they sure know how to cover their ass when their investments are at stake. Too bad they don't have the same desire to protect the consumers. I just wish Canadians would act as effectively when our sovereignty is being jeopardized, by many of our pro-transnational provincial and federal governments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caesar Posted November 20, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2004 Klein is one of the worst perpetrators of this situation, always wanting to take a shorcut and risk people's lives I am not a Klein fan but I do believe he wanted to test every cow being shipped out of Alberta. Whether that went ahead or not, I don't know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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