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Texas
Agriculture Archive
March 5, 2004
BSE UPDATE
The following BSE update has been compiled by the editors of Texas Agriculture from a number of sources:
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•BSE testing for dead cattle—The agriculture secretary's Advisory Committee on Foreign Animal and Poultry Diseases said that tests for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) should be performed on virtually all cattle that die. The panel recommended that cattle that die on farms and those transported for rendering be tested for BSE.
Although the advisory committee recommended that dead cattle buried on farms should be included in surveillance testing for BSE, they stopped short of specifying what that might cost or how extensive the testing should be.
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•New feed test for animal proteins—A new test developed by researchers at the University of California detects extremely small amounts of animal protein contamination in livestock feed. The test is described as "highly sensitive" and could be commercially available as early as next year. Researchers said the new DNA test will help protect the U.S. food supply against bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and similar diseases
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•Japanese officials call BSE probe incomplete—Japanese officials continue to register dissatisfaction with the Agriculture Department's handling of the recent bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) incident. Japan's agriculture minister recently said the U.S. probe into the incident was "incomplete." The ag minister said Japan would not reconsider the six-week ban on American beef until new proposals for tighter safeguards are presented.
Japan continues to insist that the United States must test all cattle for BSE prior to slaughter, a procedure that has been in place in Japan for the past two years. U.S. officials maintain that blanket testing is not needed and would be extremely expensive.
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•Italian researchers report new form of BSE—A team of Italian scientists have reported finding a new form of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). According to news reports, the new type of BSE was found in two head of cattle and is quite similar to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, which is only found in humans.
The Italian researchers were studying eight cows with BSE and have concluded that the results indicate cattle can develop a sporadic form of the disease. A spokesperson for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said that the research does not point to an increased health threat to humans.
An Agriculture Department veterinarian commenting on the study said that a review of BSE cases in the United Kingdom, France and Japan had earlier shown that some cattle may have different forms of the disease. It is well documented that scrapie, a related disease found in sheep, consists of many different strains, the USDA vet said.
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•McDonald's advocates better cattle tracking system—McDonald's, the nation's largest fast-food company, is calling for full traceability in beef, as well as initiatives that would enhance the safety of fruits and vegetables.
"Consumer safety and customer trust is essential," said McDonald's CEO Jim Cantalupo at an Agriculture Department conference. "And we understand the role we have to play in ensuring the safety of our products."
According to Cantalupo, McDonald's sales were not hurt following the BSE incident in December. He said that the company's consumer research showed that within several weeks of the government's announcement of the incident, 70 percent of consumers felt they had enough information to ensure that U.S. beef was safe. McDonald's is one of the largest buyers of beef worldwide.
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•Japan confirms 10th BSE case—Japan announced its 10th confirmed case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, found in an eight-year-old Holstein cow. The infected cow was slaughtered on Feb. 20 and will be incinerated. Japanese officials are trying to trace the animal's birth place. Authorities have requested that the transfer of other animals on the 63-cow farm be restricted.
Japan tests all of its cattle for BSE, something it is trying to convince the United States to do as well as a condition of restarting beef trade. America has rejected such a plan as unscientific and too costly.
