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Authors, sign in!How many people know what "bovine spongiform encephalopathy" is? We know it better as "mad cow disease". I've dealt with many mad cows that put me over the fence, but that isn't the madness we're talking about. MCD (Mad Cow Disease) is a serious problem around the world that kills people who never entered a pen with the cow. I won't try to explain the disease, except that it is detectable before the meat is ever processed.
However, our system's infinite wisdom will not allow private processors to test every animal they slaughter. This is on the pretext that it will raise the price in the meat case by ten or fifteen cents per pound! That seems to me a very reasonable price to pay for MCD protection of you, the consumer.
This policy has also cost the beef industry millions, if not billions, of dollars in lost markets. The loss or limits of Japanese and Korean markets has adversely affected the balance of trade and that adversely affects the dollar value in the world economy.
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Comments (2)
Ken, I'm glad somebody's keeping track of this whole mad cow thing. I'm wondering... do they do checks on all animals in countries like Great Britain or Canada? I wonder where Japan and Korea are getting their beef....
Posted by Pam Pohly
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June 21, 2008 5:53 PM
Posted on June 21, 2008 17:53
Pam
I hit the wrong button and published before I was finished with my post. I'm not an expert on the subject and don't really have the time to research all the material available. You can go to:
http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/gregerbse.cfm for a good review of the subject. It is 4 or 5 year old data, but nothing much has changed in the U.S. approach to the subject.
The high risk cattle are 3 yrs or older. The highest risk are "downer cows" (those unable to walk or stand on their own). The U.S. (in 2002) tested about 20,000 out of a possible 1 million animals that fit the high risk category.
It is my understanding that Japan and Austria test all cows slaughtered for human consumption. Europe is testing all cows over a certain age.
Those who oppose testing in the U.S. claim the cost to taxpayers & U.S. consumers would far exceed the benefits. Just witnes one human being dying from the disease and tell me testing is not feasible!
Nobody likes regulations and mandatory testing, regardless of the category. But with today's technology, and nearly open trade and markets, it might be a necessity.
Posted by Ken Poland
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June 23, 2008 8:07 AM
Posted on June 23, 2008 08:07