US Mad Cow?

[I Miss Trudeau]

1997 Mad cow?

The United States did not properly analyze two suspected cases of mad cow disease in 1997, years before it showed up in Canada and devastated this country's beef industry, a CBC News investigation suggests.

Documents obtained by CBC show that the samples tested by the department did not contain parts of the animal's brain critical for an accurate diagnosis.

[kimmy]

Sounds like they had "shoot, shovel, and shut up" covered well before Ralph Klein even thought of it.

-k

[Newfie Canadian]

Interesting if true.

[Black Dog]

I wouldn't be surprised. The U.S's food inspection system is a disgrace. Of 30 million cattle slaughtered each year, only 40,000 are tested for BSE. There's also an over-reliance on self-policing by producers and packers. In Alberta we've seen the power the U.S. cattle lobby holds in wasshington in keeping the border closed. That sam elobby is also devoted to keeping government regulation in its business at a minimum. After all, we can't have petty concerns like the safety of the food supply get in the way of big agribusiness' bottom line.

[I Miss Trudeau]

Just for interests sake:

Cost of testing each slaughtered U.S. cow for mad cow disease per pound of beef produced : 5c

Ratio of the number of cows France tests each week to the number the United States has tested in the last decade : 7:6

From Hapers Index, March 2004

Sources: National Cattlemen's Beef Association, The European Commission (Brussels), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Harper's research.

Edit: Cost per pound is 5c, or $0.05. The "cent" symbol did not trransfer over.

[Shakeyhands]

I've said it before and I will say it again... they are hiding cases, it is numberically impossible for them to not have had a case.

[I Miss Trudeau]

I've said it before and I will say it again... they are hiding cases, it is numberically impossible for them to not have had a case.

That does seem to be the unavoidable conclusion. Statistically speaking, anyway.

[PocketRocket]

Now how could you DARE suggest that the US of A would do anything other than play fair, and observe all the rules and agreements made under the NAFTA???

Of course they've never had a case of Mad Cow.

None of the cattle ranchers have dandruff, either.

Just ask them.

[paranoid joe]

american ranchers dont care about the health of their cattle (as long as they can still sell them) and they dont care about what happens to whoever eats their produce. i say that the whole system should be reformed.

[PocketRocket]

It's a well-known fact that there is at least one case of Mad-Cow in the USA right now, even as we speak.

This particular mad cow has not been tested for the disease, and even though this mad cow is often trotted out on display for the American people, and indeed for all the world's people to see, no one has yet had the nerve to ask that Condi Rice be tested.

[Shakeyhands]

It's a well-known fact that there is at least one case of Mad-Cow in the USA right now, even as we speak.

This particular mad cow has not been tested for the disease, and even though this mad cow is often trotted out on display for the American people, and indeed for all the world's people to see, no one has yet had the nerve to ask that Condi Rice be tested. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

bwaaahahaha

[Technocrat]

ROFLMAO

[PocketRocket]

Of course we now have, according to many Conservatives, another confirmed case of mad-cow right here in Canada.

But I'm not sure if Belinda qualifies.

Let's see now, to do the test for mad-cow, they need to test a portion of the suspect-case's brain.

In the case of both Belinda and Condi, I'm not sure whether they'd find one.

[mirror]

Link

Samples from the cow, which was at least 12 years old, were actually taken in April on a remote farm but a private veterinarian forgot to send them to the U.S. Department of Agriculture until last week.

Now there is another suspected case of mad cow in the US. And apparently there was quite a delay in getting the cow tested for BSE. What's going with the US cattle industry?

[Shakeyhands]

Link

Samples from the cow, which was at least 12 years old, were actually taken in April on a remote farm but a private veterinarian forgot to send them to the U.S. Department of Agriculture until last week.

Now there is another suspected case of mad cow in the US. And apparently there was quite a delay in getting the cow tested for BSE. What's going with the US cattle industry?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My fav quote from the article was....

But the veterinarian "set aside the sample after preserving it and simply forgot to turn it in" until recently, when an immunohistochemistry test yielded the non-definitive results, Clifford said.

Link to CNN

[crazymf]

The mad cow situation transcends politics and borders. Our two governments are handling it politically, which is 180 degree the wrong direction. Closing the border to beef is irrelevant as the problem equally exists on both sides.

This problem is in the hands of each farmer individually and must be handled as such. How can the government expect each farmer to hold the federal interests above his own when the consequences of an infected animal means the possible end of his livelyhood?

This is one situation where I believe adequate funding and compensation can actually help in the long run. Educate the farmers, vets and stockyards to the situation, and don't let their businesses fail as a result.

[Sir Chauncy]

Close the border indeffinitely to beef products of any kind.

Then try pressing all countries to do likewise.

SC

[BHS]

Close the border indeffinitely to beef products of any kind.

Then try pressing all countries to do likewise.

SC

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And watch Canada's beef industry evaporate. And then watch the price of a good steak shoot up to $20 at the grocery store. No thanks. I'll take the risk.

[crazymf]

Close the border indeffinitely to beef products of any kind.

Then try pressing all countries to do likewise.

SC

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why? What do you mean? Elaborate please.

[Sir Chauncy]

Canada had one mad cow problem. The border was closed to our beef for well over a year.

America has had at least three confirmed cases and was caught trying to cover it up.

We should treat their imports at least as equal to their treatment of ours.

If others countries stop American beef, dont you think they will still need beef. A huge boon for Canada and a huge chance to start beef trade elsewhere , thus stopping our reliance on America.

SC