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Canada Finds Another Case Of Mad Cow Disease

Food Safety Rules Inadequate, Consumers Union Charges

January 24, 2006

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A fourth case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) has turned up in a Canadian cattle herd, according to Canada’s Agriculture Minister, just days after Japan reinstated its ban of U.S. beef.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns said he doubts the finding will affect beef or cattle trade with Canada. But Consumers Union said that both current and proposed Food and Drug Administration animal feed rules are inadequate to protect the public health.

Consumers Union urged the FDA to act now to keep high-risk cattle parts that are most likely to spread the disease out of animal feed.

"This latest case of mad cow disease in Canada points to a significant North American mad cow problem," said Michael Hansen, a biologist with Consumers Union specializing in food safety.

The cow, reported to be six years old, was born after FDA's and Canada's current feed restrictions went into effect, indicating that the restrictions are not strong enough to prevent the spread of this brain-wasting disease.

Consumers Union, in comments submitted to FDA in December, noted that new research conducted in the United Kingdom shows that minuscule amounts of infected cattle material can, if fed to other cattle, transmit mad cow disease.

"Based on this new research, if just one infected cow entered the U.S. feed supply and the brain and spinal cord of that animal were maximally dispersed in feed, it could potentially infect 45,000 other cows," Hansen said. "That's why we have to be extremely vigilant about keeping any infected animal material out of feed and food."

FDA recently proposed prohibiting brains and spinal cords of cattle over 30 months in animal feed.

Consumers Union recommends keeping all mammalian material out of animal feed, as has been done in the UK, but urges that at least brains and spinal cords, and other risky materials such as intestines known as "specified risk material" from cattle over 12 months, be prohibited.

In addition, it urges FDA to close three loopholes -- for cattle blood, restaurant wastes, and chicken coop floor wastes -- as it promised to do two years ago.

Some American farmers are also concerned. Dave Frederickson, President of the National Farmers Union, said he is deeply disturbed by the report. Frederickson said he would urge Johanns to immediately suspend all Canadian cattle imports while the situation is investigated.

Japan Reinstates Ban

Japan, meanwhile, has reinstated its ban on U.S. beef after prohibited bone materials were found in a recent shipment of American veal, just weeks after the two-year ban had been lifted.

Japan's agriculture minister, Shoichi Nakagawa, met with U.S. officials and warned that the shipment of prohibited bone materials was an unacceptable mistake.

The government barred Brooklyn-based Atlantic Veal & Lamb, the plant that sent the shipment, from selling meat to Japan and Johanns said he would take action against the department inspector who cleared the shipment.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) opened the border between the United States and Canada last summer, after a two-year closure, for all cattle under 30 months. Animals under 30 months seldom exhibit symptoms of mad cow disease, but can still incubate it.

Mad cow disease is believed to be transmitted through eating infected material. When Canadian cattle are slaughtered in the United States, they are processed like U.S. cows into meat for human consumption, as well as into pig, chicken and pet food.

"We must also increase the USDA surveillance program, which is testing just 1 percent of all animals slaughtered in the United States," Hansen said. "We think USDA should be testing all animals over 20 months at slaughter. But at a minimum, USDA should test all high-risk cattle, and all cattle from Western Canada, from the Pacific Northwest and from Texas, where cases have been identified."

Johanns Confident

"I appreciated the opportunity to speak with Canadian Agriculture Minister Andy Mitchell today, who apprised me of the new BSE detection in Canada,” Johanns said in a statement.

"I assured him that based on the information he supplied, I anticipate no change in the status of beef or live cattle imports to the U.S. from Canada under our established agreement. As I've said many times, our beef trade decisions follow internationally accepted guidelines that are based in science."

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said it confirmed the disease in a six year old cross-bred dairy brood cow born and raised in Alberta. The agency said the source of the infection was likely contaminated feed and that no part no part of the animal entered the human food or animal feed systems.

Johanns said USDA will work with Canadian authorities to evaluate the situation, and recommend changes, as warranted.

"I am confident in the safety of beef and in the safeguards we and our approved beef trading partners have in place to protect our food supply. We will continue to adhere to international guidelines in our relationships with all trading partners, and my hope continues to be that we achieve a system of science-based global beef trade," he said.

"Our beef trade decisions follow internationally accepted guidelines that are based in science."

Johanns said USDA will continue to evaluate the situation as the investigation continues. He has directed USDA to work with Canada and its investigative team. Minister Mitchell has reportedly pledged his full cooperation.

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