| San Lucas, Calif. (May 2, 2007) The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced today that a mature dairy cow is Canada's 11th confirmed case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Preliminary information provided to CFIA indicates that the animal, raised in British Columbia, was 66 months of age.
Canadian officials stated that they are currently investigating to determine how the animal became infected and are attempting to locate any herdmates who might also have been exposed to the disease. CFIA also assured consumers that they are in possession of the carcass and that no part of the animal entered the food supply.
"In light of the proposed USDA rule to allow for the importation of cattle older than thirty months of age (OTM Rule), this most recent case of BSE is very disturbing," said Jon Wooster, USCA Interim President, California.
USCA Director and Animal Health Committee Chairman Chuck Kiker, Texas agrees. "There is no doubt that the prevalence of BSE is much higher in Canada than it is in the U.S. and that Canada's feed ban has not been effective. USDA needs to indefinitely postpone any plans to allow cattle and beef from cattle over thirty months of age into the U.S. until Canada does more comprehensive BSE testing to determine the true prevalence of BSE in their cattle herd and completes an investigation into the failure of their feed ban."
"Since the beginning of the year, the Canadian government has confirmed two cases of BSE," added Wooster . "While we applaud the CFIA for their quick action, USCA believes this proves that now is not the time to resume the importation of Canadian cattle and beef over thirty months of age. USCA believes that we would be risking the confidence of our export markets and the confidence of domestic consumers if the USDA's proposed OTM Rule is allowed to take effect at the present time."
USCA Director and COOL Committee Chairwoman Danni Beer, South Dakota, is also concerned that discoveries like this one coupled with the proposed OTM Rule could have a chilling effect on the domestic beef market. “This year's E-coli tainted spinach crop and the recent discovery of contaminated pet food have heightened consumers concerns about food safety. Our current practice of commingling foreign beef with domestic product does nothing to calm those fears," says Beer.
"We should be proud of our record on BSE and allow American consumers the choice to buy the product that we have worked so hard to protect. Mandatory COOL would provide the truthful, meaningful labeling that consumers want, and allow them to choose with confidence the beef they buy for their families."
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